The United States has just taken the first step towards embracing drones for delivering cargo.
What’s happening:
- Cargo drone startup MightyFly has announced they have become the first large autonomous cargo electric vertical takeoff and landing operator to receive Federal Flight Authority approval for a flight corridor
- The new approval from the Federal Flight Authority will allow MightFly to test their cargo drone on select flight routes within California
Why it matters:
- Mighty Fly’s drones are purpose built to autonomously transport large payloads for deliveries and logistics, which is something most smaller drones manufacturers are not capable of doing due to limitations around payload capacity and being able to safely fly while carrying large amounts of weight
By the numbers:
- MightFly’s flagship cargo drone is known as the Cento and is capable of carrying up to 100 lbs of weight
- The Cento is able to fly approximately 600 miles continuously
Going deeper:
- Drone startups are starting to gain momentum with regulatory approvals globally, with the world's longest range delivery drones recently launching in Norway
The intrigue:
- DoorDash (NASDAQ: DASH) also recently launched a new pilot project for food deliveries in the United States through their partnership with drone operator Wing
