The drone-based delivery provider SkyDrop (formerly known as Flirtey) has received the necessary approvals from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to launch drone-based delivery services in New Zealand.

The approvals granted include beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights for last-mile deliveries, drone operation over persons and property, and the launch of commercial deliveries. This marks the first company to have obtained approval for commercial drone-based deliveries in New Zealand.

Initially, the company plans to launch drone-based deliveries in Huntly, New Zealand, covering nearly 10,000 residents and businesses. 

The approvals were based on a set of standards common to regulators across Europe, Canada, and other countries. Thus, the company will be able to apply the same criteria to expand its operations and transfer its delivery network to other markets in the future.

Analyst QuickTake: Today’s approvals would bode well for Skydrop’s existing partnerships in New Zealand. For example, Skydrop will now be able to launch commercial trials with Domino's, as the duo announced earlier this year. Even though the locations were not disclosed at the time, Skydrop might now launch the service in Huntly first, as per today’s approval.