FAA Part 135 Drone Delivery Certification
FAA Part 135 Drone Delivery Certification is the use of the FAA's commuter and on-demand air carrier rules to let drone companies carry packages for compensation, including beyond visual line of sight under waivers and exemptions.
What it requires
Part 135 requires an air carrier certificate, operations specifications, approved manuals and training programs, drug and alcohol testing and designated management personnel, plus exemptions from rules written for crewed aircraft. Wing received the first drone Part 135 certificate in April 2019, followed by UPS Flight Forward in 2019, Amazon Prime Air in 2020, Zipline in 2022 and Causey Aviation Unmanned, which flies for Flytrex, in 2023. Beyond visual line of sight flights still need FAA waivers or exemptions until a Part 108 rule is final.
Why it matters
Part 135 is the current legal gateway for commercial drone delivery, so retailers and fulfillment operators partner with certificated drone carriers rather than fly their own. For example, Walmart has used Wing and Zipline to deliver orders from stores in Texas and Arkansas, with the drone company holding the certificate and the store acting as the launch site. Operators considering drone delivery should weigh partner coverage areas, payload limits of a few pounds and the pending Part 108 rule, which could lower the barrier to entry.
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Not legal advice.