Commercial Drone Authorisation for Irish Cargo Airline
Dublin 11th April 2023 : ASL Airlines Ireland subsidiary, ASL Future Flight, has been awarded a Light UAS Aircraft Systems Operator Certificate (LUC) by the Irish Aviation Authority.
The LUC is an optional operational certificate which guarantees some privileges to its holder, up to the possibility to start commercial drone operations without an operational authorisation from the IAA such as the delivery of light cargo over a short range. It will be used by ASL Future Flight to train and gain experience on drone operations before moving on to heavier and longer-range operations.
ASL Airlines Ireland (ASLI) is one of seven airlines in the Dublin based ASL Aviation Holdings group operating cargo flights globally for the express parcel and e-commerce markets. ASLI has a fleet of 40 aircraft and customers include FedEx, DHL and Amazon.
ASL Future Flight’s LUC allows for operations under PDRA-S01, which is a Pre-defined Risk Assessment scenario published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and adopted by the IAA. It authorises flights by a drone less than 3 metres in diameter with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 25kg. Operations under PDRA-S01 include short-range cargo operations which would typically allow the delivery of small packages up to about 5Kgs.
This is a first step in future proofing ASL’s capabilities to meet the operational requirements of new unmanned flight technologies and licencing. ASL Future Flight will begin training and flight testing while considering plans for unmanned flight using larger drones. These will require a Certified Category Authorisation very similar to an airline Air Operators Certificate.
“Cargo will play a key role in the development of new flight technologies”, said ASL Airlines Ireland Managing Director, John Rawl. “This LUC shows ASL’s commitment to be ready, willing and able as unmanned aircraft become larger and capable of operating over wider networks delivering cargo up to 500kgs or more.”
UAS Manager for the IAA, Enda Walsh said: “ASL Future Flight are only the third operator to obtain a Light UAS Operator Certificate from the IAA. It is a reflection of ASL’s strong organisational structure, safety management system and staff competencies. We look forward to working with ASL as they continue to grow and develop.”
Dublin based Avtrain worked closely with ASL Future Flight and developed the manual suite for the LUC including the operations manual.
“The future of flight is here and to see such a significant player as ASL Airlines being awarded a LUC is a huge stepping stone to full scale eVTOL operations” said Avtrain CEO, Julie Garland.
ASL is exploring new flight technologies through ASL CargoVision, a forum of fifteen companies involved in unmanned flight, large drone or unmanned aircraft and sustainable flight using hybrid electric and hydrogen fuels.
John Rawl continued, “Through ASL CargoVision, ASL Future Flight will be at the forefront of new aircraft development and operations create new capabilities for local and regional cargo transportation using clean, zero-emissions unmanned flights.”
ASL Future Flight will begin an initial test flight programme in the coming weeks and plans for commercial activities will be announced later this year.
About ASL Airlines Ireland
ASL Airlines Ireland is one of four ASL Aviation Holdings airlines in Europe. The airline operates a fleet of widebody and narrowbody freighter aircraft throughout Europe and North America and the Middle East.
The IOSA accredited airline specialises in the provision of air transport services for global express integrators and online retailers and has an extensive worldwide cargo network.
Established in 1972, ASL Airlines Ireland is one of Europe’s leading freight operators and specialises in aviation support services and fleet management.
With its headquarters and main operational base in Dublin and its own light maintenance hangar in Shannon, ASL Airlines Ireland also has aircraft and crew bases in 10 European countries. The airline’s operations span a network of more than 50 regular European and global destinations using its fleet of 40 aircraft.
About Irish Aviation Authority
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is a commercial semi-state company employing over 700 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has two main functions: the regulation of the civil aviation industry in Ireland and the provision of air traffic management and related services in Irish controlled airspace.
The IAA is currently undergoing a structural change, whereby the Air Navigation Service Provider will be separated into a new corporate entity and the Commission for Aviation Regulation will be dissolved and its functions merged with the IAA. The new IAA will be the single aviation regulator for Ireland, responsible for safety, security, economic regulation, passenger rights and travel-trade licensing.
ASL Aviation Holdings / ASL Future Flight
Andrew Kelly
+353 85 711 7711
akelly@aslaviationholdings.com
Saoirse Claffey
+353 87 947 6558
sclaffey@aslaviationholdings.com
Irish Aviation Authority
Alec Elliott
+353 87 706 4018
alec.elliott@iaa.ie
To download a copy of this release, click on the link below:
ASL Airlines Licenced For Future Flight Commercial Drone Authorisation for Irish Cargo Airline
