Melbourne-based drone logistics company Swoop Aero has obtained BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) approval for medical logistics operations in Queensland.
The approval from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) allows Swoop Aero to operate in a fully integrated airspace with an aerodrome based hub at the local airport in Goondiwindi.
Rather than operating in controlled airspace, the integration will enable access to safe and sustainable drone logistics across the whole area. The network will overcome distance as a barrier to healthcare access for surrounding regional communities and make access to health convenient.
“Today is a proud milestone for Swoop Aero,” said CEO and co-founder Eric Peck. “The CASA approvals will see Swoop Aero drones launch right here in Australian skies. Our approvals are a testimony to our strong regulatory experience overseas, our operational excellence flying over 10,000 BVLOS missions across a number of countries and our strong operating procedures.”
The BVLOS approval is support by a DG (Dangerous Goods) approval that allows us to transport critical medical supplies to where they are needed whilst maintaining chain of custody.
Zac Kennedy, Director of Regulatory Affairs adds, “Australia’s Airspace rapidly transforming to account for new airspace users such as drone logistics. We are proud to be leading the way in how to make this transformation a sustainable one to ensure our skies remain safe for traditional and emerging airspace users alike, as well as the broader community. To that effect, we sit on and lead multiple government working groups to co-design the regulatory framework that promotes air mobility safety and innovation to overcome supply barriers.”
Swoop Aero’s operations will be co-located with the local airport in Goondiwindi safely integrating manned and unmanned operations.
“These operations will quickly connect Australian regional patients with medical supplies and equipment, including in emergency situations. Right now the region is facing flooding, and participating recipients who would traditionally be isolated, have access to on-demand critical supplies” said Swoop Aero’s Australian Operations Manager, Daniel Scandar., “We can also complete the circle of telehealth for rural patients by providing on-demand medical logistics via air.
The potential for drone logistics to connect Australians in immense, and it’s incredible to be on the forefront of operations with Swoop Aero”.
Operations are scheduled to begin this month, December 2021. For more information about operations, contact [email protected]
About Swoop Aero
Swoop Aero is an Australian drone-powered logistics company founded in 2017 to transform how the world moves by making access to the skies seamless. We integrate drone logistics into the first and last mile of the supply chain to transform its strength and agility. Where we don’t deliver that service ourselves, we provide our technology platform selectively to organisations across the globe to further the reach of our impact. Our goal is to provide a service accessible by 1 billion people in 2030, delivering impact across industries including health, transport, disaster management, and Search and Rescue. Since its founding in 2017, Swoop Aero has worked with some of the largest organisations in global health across three continents, including UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, UK Aid, USAID and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance.
To learn more about Swoop Aero: https://swoop.aero/
