Five on Friday: Xplorate, Ethiopian Airlines and Airbus

With a renewed contract and a new aircraft delivery, Xplorate took two steps this week to further assert itself as a world leader in remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) operations. 

The Perth-based company secured a major oil and gas methane partnership tender for the third successive year, with an undisclosed global energy partner. It also took delivery of another SDO 50 V3 RPAS from its hardware partner SwissDrones.

The tender for visual line of sight (VLOS) monitoring isn’t Xplorate’s “core work” – which is beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) surveying – but “it does fit in with our customers’ needs and our own data strategy,” CEO Ronnie Fahy tells us.

“For a company like us who set up for BVLOS, to be able to compete at a VLOS level and win at the highest standard is a big win.”

The tender will see Xplorate help to ensure that its client meets Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 reporting standards through advanced methane monitoring and emissions data collection.

The work, alongside a growing list of other projects, will be carried out using Xplorate’s fleet of SwissDrones platforms, including the newly delivered SDO 50 V3.

Fahy tells us the latest addition to the fleet is somewhat of a “V3.5”. The aircraft includes a number of upgrades to flight planning software and the gearbox.

The delivery marks a strategic step forward for Xplorate as it prepares to service a growing list of long-term contracts across Australia and internationally.

“This isn’t about short-term demand or fleet expansion for its own sake,” Mr Fahy added. “We are looking to secure multi-year contracts that reflect a real shift in the market. Our clients are planning for a future where uncrewed aviation is embedded in their day-to-day operations – and platforms like the SDO 50 are central to that future.”