DroneUp acquires AirMap: combining international airspace administration with DroneUp’s community, fleet, and infrastructure.

Tom Walker, DroneUp’s CEO, doesn’t do issues by halves. DroneUp has grown swiftly as a drone companies supplier; growing proprietary software program, infrastructure, and a sturdy, well-trained pilot community.  They’ve been instrumental in defining the boundaries of what could be completed inside the confines of present laws, exhibiting worth whereas flying inside visible line of sight (VLOS).  With a main funding from one of many world’s largest retailers – Walmart – DroneUp has secured a spot on the entrance strains of drone supply, establishing the primary multi-site Walmart drone supply operation – and setting the stage for one of many first massive scale drone supply packages on this planet.

Walmart presents a chance for drone supply companies on an enormous scale within the U.S.  Walmart has distinctive benefits within the drone supply realm.  Not like Amazon drone supply packages, which naturally wrestle to reconcile the gap between warehouses and prospects, 90% of Individuals dwell inside 10 miles of a Walmart retailer.  And, because the pandemic reveals, these prospects have gotten extra accustomed to ordering objects for supply or pickup, reasonably than buying within the retail surroundings.  Now, as DroneUp acquires AirMap, the corporate is shopping for expertise that may allow them to push quickly ahead towards increasing drone companies past visible line of sight –  rapidly.

“Finally reaching BVLOS operations at scale is not going to hinge upon a single airframe, software program, or expertise. Slightly, will probably be the cautious aggregation of the perfect options. As we proceed to boost our proprietary platforms, we aggressively analyze the marketplace for potential partnerships, investments, or acquisitions with compelling options,” DroneUp CEO, Tom Walker, tells DRONELIFE.

“Already supporting as many as 100,000 flights per day, Airmap’s industry-leading merchandise will instantly impression our means to scale operations. Moreover, the knowledge collected will create safer skies and permit for insights and capabilities that may solely have worth with scale.

AirMap was one of many first, and most generally used, airspace intelligence programs, and the corporate developed to enter the UTM house.  AirMap’s Unmanned Plane System Site visitors Administration (UTM) service and complete flight knowledge “will assist DroneUp set up market and regulatory management, and additional advance secure last-mile drone companies,” says an organization press launch.

“As drone flight quantity will increase, safely managing flights is past human scale and requires an automatic system to plan, request clearance, and consider potential hazards and airspace restrictions. The AirMap platform advances security for DroneUp’s operations, whereas additionally offering benefits for different drone operators to publish their flight plans selling uniform security.”

Whereas the AirMap options will allow DroneUp to scale operations for his or her companies, DroneUp is dedicated to persevering with to make the AirMap answer accessible to the {industry}.

“We’ve built-in with one of the best aerospace groups to carry drone supply and flight companies to market quicker and extra economically with our patented flight administration software program, and now the {industry}’s primary UTM answer,” mentioned DroneUp CEO Tom Walker. “We consider DroneUp has an ethical obligation to proceed funding in and enlargement of the AirMap platform. We’ll guarantee this useful resource stays overtly accessible to the drone {industry}, municipalities, and the FAA.”

“Not solely is AirMap a UTM firm, they’re additionally a world chief in digital automated air visitors administration (ATM) with a best-in-class market share, geographic footprint, and seamless platform expertise that helps stakeholders throughout a number of ecosystems,” mentioned John Vernon, DroneUp’s CTO and consultant to the FAA’s Past Visible Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). “Transformative advances in expertise are driving constructive change for society, fueling decarbonization, de-congestion, and the democratization of transportation. UTM is a key enabler to high-density drone and concrete air mobility (UAM) operations whereas unlocking autonomy and flight security at scale. We look ahead to persevering with constructive innovation.”

“We’re excited to be becoming a member of the DroneUp staff,” mentioned Ben Marcus, co-founder of Airmap. “Since its inception, AirMap has labored to create a future the place drones ship worth to thousands and thousands of individuals of their on a regular basis lives. DroneUp can also be dedicated to this mission, and thru its resilient, extensible community and partnership with Walmart, I’m assured that we’re going to create this actuality.”

DroneUp operates commercially all through the U.S. and is a certified authorities drone companies supplier for 13 states serving public sector organizations. It has greater than 190 energetic waivers and authorizations with the FAA. AirMap is considered one of three UTM suppliers presently deployed internationally and supplies UTM in Switzerland with a geographic footprint and buyer base stretching from North America to Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone {industry} and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles centered on the industrial drone house and is a world speaker and acknowledged determine within the {industry}.  Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand new applied sciences.
For drone {industry} consulting or writing, Electronic mail Miriam.

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