Reuters Events | Supply Chain & Logistics Business Intelligence

Company hopes to conduct drone deliveries to US homes before the end of 2019

Flirtey has released a video of its next-generation delivery drone performing consumer and automated external defibrillator (AED) deliveries to customer homes.

The Flirtey Eagle, a delivery drone, is being combined with the Flirtey Portal, a takeoff and landing platform that enables scalable store-to-door operations in the hope of operating commercial home deliveries in the US.

Flirtey says its aircraft is designed to operate in 95% of wind and weather conditions. It operates by lowering a tether, while the drone is suspended in air, and once the package is delivered, it then retracts the tether

Flirtey's aircraft is controlled by its autonomous software platform, which has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for the first multi-drone delivery operation in the United States, enabling a single remote pilot to simultaneously oversee ten Flirtey drones.

Safety record
The Flirtey Eagle builds upon the advanced technologies developed for Flirtey's previous generation aircraft that conducted the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved drone delivery in the United States.

Flirtey's regulatory approvals include:

• Approval to conduct multi-drone delivery operations, enabling a single remote pilot to simultaneously oversee ten Flirtey drones
• Approval to conduct drone delivery flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), enabling Flirtey to conduct drone delivery operations with a pilot controlling the flights from a remote location
• Approval to conduct drone delivery flights at night, making drone delivery accessible at any time

Flirtey and the City of Reno are one of 10 locations participating in the FAA and Department of Transportation's Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP). Within the IPP, Flirtey and the City of Reno have partnered with REMSA, local emergency medical services provider, to deliver AEDs to those in need.

"We are thrilled to now reveal Flirtey's industry-leading technology to the world. We expect Flirtey's advanced drone delivery system will become the industry standard in America," said Matthew Sweeny, Flirtey Founder and CEO. "Flirtey's technology has unique capabilities unavailable from any other aircraft manufacturer to enable first-movers to capture market share in their industries. Flirtey's latest technology makes life-saving and commercial drone delivery to homes in the United States an imminent reality."

Flirtey says it is on course to conduct drone deliveries to US homes before the end of 2019.