Matternet has been granted a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), reportedly the first LUC issued by the Swiss FOCA for higher-risk “SAIL III” operations.
These operations include beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights over populated areas, with the LUC also enabling Matternet to self-authorize new operations within Switzerland and the Federal State of Berlin. As a result, the approval process for similar operations throughout the European Union has been accelerated.
This milestone builds on Matternet’s history of advanced authorizations, including being the first company to receive BVLOS authorization for operations over cities in Switzerland in 2017.
These achievements further enhance its capacity to deploy innovative drone delivery solutions across Europe and solidify its position as a leader in safe and efficient unmanned aerial delivery.
Matternet also holds Type and Production Certifications from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with BVLOS operational approvals from both the FAA and FOCA, as well as cross-border approvals from Germany’s Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA).
Andreas Raptopoulos, Founder and CEO of Matternet, commented, “We are excited about this certification, which transforms our ability to expand drone delivery operations across Europe.
“Our close collaboration with FOCA has been instrumental in achieving this milestone. With the power to self-authorize routes, we can rapidly grow our networks and deliver essential goods to hospitals and directly to people’s homes.”
Tom Rehwinkel, Head of Regulatory Affairs EMEA at Matternet, added, “Obtaining the LUC required us to demonstrate our robust safety management system to effectively mitigate and manage aviation risks. This certification underscores our commitment to safe and reliable drone delivery operations.”
