Nevada-based SkyDrop has received final approval from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority to launch regular drone deliveries.

SkyDrop, formerly Flirtey, has now received Part 102 approval from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to launch a drone hub in Huntly, New Zealand. With this approval, SkyDrop is the first company approved for live store-to-door drone delivery in New Zealand. This includes certain beyond visual line of sight operations.

SkyDrop designs and builds drone delivery aircraft, the enabling software, and launch platforms to provide delivery options to companies worldwide. The recent approval enables the launch of SkyDrop’s first drone hub in Huntly, unlocking revenue-generating drone deliveries with a path to economic viability for SkyDrop and its users.

The CAA granted the approval after conducting a review of SkyDrop’s technology and operating procedures. Underpinning this approval is the firm’s safety technology including an onboard parachute recovery system, which was reviewed by the CAA.

This approval follows years of testing in the USA and New Zealand. SkyDrop has also received approvals from Waikato District Council following engagement with local stakeholders in Raahui Pookeka in Huntly including the Waahi Paa, who named a SkyDrop drone Te Kaahu, or the Hawk.

This lays the foundation for SkyDrop to scale because the risk assessment method that secured this approval can be adapted to additional locations to build a nationwide network of drone hubs across New Zealand, and to Australia, Canada and the European Union member countries, which all use the Jarus Sora method.

“SkyDrop is excited to work with the CAA to make New Zealand the innovation leader in speedier, cheaper and greener last-mile drone delivery,” said Matthew Sweeny, SkyDrop’s CEO. “This approval is a ground-breaking milestone for SkyDrop, and the drone delivery industry. SkyDrop is set to launch regular drone deliveries to the nearly 10,000 people and businesses in Huntly.”

SkyDrop is a full-stack provider of hardware and software for autonomous last-kilometre drone delivery and owns extensive patents. The company made history in 2015 when it conducted the first-ever FAA-approved drone delivery in the USA.