Xplorate granted BVLOS approval larger than Switzerland
Xplorate has secured an approval for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations from Australia’s aviation regulator for a 58,000sqkm chunk of Queensland.
This mixed airspace approval — a first for Australia — allows Xplorate to operate its SwissDrones SDO50 V3 across the majority of major energy assets in the region.
According to Ronnie Fahy, CEO of Xplorate Pacific, scale is the big difference maker.
“Scale, now we have scale,” he told us. “Previously we were limited to monitoring self infrastructure. Now in the approved area it is open. We can without consult self approve flights in the area allowing us to respond to emergency response activity, ad hoc requests, broad acre surveys etc.”
Specifically, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has authorised Xplorate’s remotely piloted aircraft (RPAS) to fly BVLOS by day and at night, at altitudes above 400 ft AGL, across a vast mixed airspace. This means critical infrastructure – from gas pipelines to dispersed well sites, remote facilities and powerline networks – can be monitored more efficiently, safely and frequently.
The approval also expands the firm’s operational range and capacity for long-distance missions, allowing for around-the-clock services.
“Securing the first BVLOS approval of this scale and complexity shows the trust regulators have in our safety standards and technology,” added Fahy. “We’re proud to lead the way – covering an area bigger than an entire European country with our aircraft – and this firmly establishes Xplorate as the go-to BVLOS operator in Australia.”
The approved airspace spans both sparsely populated outback and sections of complex airspace, demonstrating that large-scale RPAS operations can be carried out safely alongside other airspace users.
Asked whether this approval sets a precedent for further similar achievements, Fahy said: “100%. They are already in the plans. Much more to follow.”
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