Matternet’s delivery drone design has been approved by the FAA

Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

The Model M2 was approved by the FAA. According to a press release from Matternet, the Model M2 is the first non-military aircraft to achieve type certification by the FAA.

The FAA has been testing the Model M2 in the US over the past four years. Getting approval from the FAA could help simplify the process of implementing new networks.

Image: Matternet

Medical supplies and prescriptions were delivered by Matternet in North Carolina and Florida. The Swiss Post and Matternet worked together to deliver lab samples and blood tests. After two crashes of its drones in the country, Matternet decided to take over the program from the Swiss Post.

According to the FAA, Matternet's Model M2 drones meet all federal regulations for safe, reliable and controllable operations and provide a level of safety equivalent to existing airworthiness standards applicable to other categories of aircraft. Four-rotor drones have been approved to carry four-pounds and fly at an altitude of 400 feet or lower with a maximum speed of 45mph.

Other tech and retail giants are ramping up efforts to get their own drones off the ground. Walmart said in May that it would expand its drone delivery network to Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia by the end of the year. In June, Amazon will start delivering drones to Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas. Wing, a company owned by the parent company of the internet giant, is working on drones that can carry larger objects.