First-Ever UAS Type Certification Amendment is awarded to a new variant of the Matternet M2 Aircraft that will unlock Scale and Operational Efficiency for Matternet’s Customers
Amendment Further Highlights Matternet’s Regulatory Expertise, a Critical Competitive Advantage in the Highly Regulated Drone Delivery Field
Matternet’s M2 Drone was the First Non-Military Unmanned Aircraft to Achieve Type Certification in the United States
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 2, 2023 — Matternet, the developer of the world’s leading urban and suburban drone delivery system, today announced that the Matternet M2 drone has achieved approval for an amendment to its first-ever UAS Type Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This groundbreaking development highlights the continued improvements Matternet has made to the M2 aircraft’s hardware and software, which will enable Matternet and its customers to scale operations faster and more cost-effectively.
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"We are thrilled with the FAA’s decision to grant this amendment, the first-ever to a UAS Type Certification," said Andreas Raptopoulos, Founder and CEO of Matternet. “As we develop more advanced technology, it's very important that we are able to move quickly through the FAA Type Certification process, the gold standard in airworthiness certification.”
Matternet has now received its second Type Certificate approval before any other delivery drones have achieved that mark across the industry. In 2022, Matternet’s M2 drone became the first non-military unmanned aircraft to achieve Type Certification (September 2022) and Production Certification (November 2022) in the United States. The aircraft underwent a rigorous evaluation process by the FAA, which resulted in the M2 drone proving to be airworthy and eligible for scaled commercial delivery operations.
The company is committed to evaluating the ever-evolving market and taking advantage of exciting opportunities that will encourage mass adoption and drive the industry forward. Matternet has established a global footprint through noteworthy partnerships and operations and today’s announcement will allow the company to continue expanding its customer base.
The updated version of the M2 aircraft is currently in production and will be made immediately available as Matternet continues to work on exceeding regulatory hurdles so that drone delivery can become widely available to everyone. The company continues to explore and scale operations throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
About Matternet
Matternet is the leading developer of commercial drone delivery systems for urban and suburban environments. The company ships the Matternet M2 drone and Matternet Software Platform and operates its technology directly for customers or in partnership with logistics organizations, such as UPS. Matternet has achieved many industry firsts, including being the first company to be authorized for commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone delivery operations over cities in Switzerland, the first to launch routine revenue-generating operations in the U.S., and the first to achieve standard Type Certification and Production Certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Matternet is partnered with UPS and Ameriflight, who have received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate the Matternet M2 under Part 135. To date, Matternet technology has enabled tens of thousands of commercial flights over dense urban and suburban environments in the U.S. and Europe.
For more information about Matternet, please visit: https://mttr.net.
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Contact:
Nick Fox
Sloane & Company
Sloane-Matternet@sloanepr.com
