The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has type certified Amber Wings, a sister company of Chennai-based air mobility startup The ePlane Company, for their hybrid cargo drone. Amber Wings says this makes them the first Indian firm to get their hybrid cargo drone approved.
Companies must apply for type certificates in order to meet regulations pertaining to the safety, security, and dependability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under the Drone Rules, 2021. Amber Wing’s drone, ATVA-1, has been authorised for commercial use 24 hours a day, including at night, a privilege that has not been granted to any other cargo drone operator in India.
The startup will now progressively launch pilots throughout India after receiving certification. Notably, the business, which was incubated at IIT Madras, has two drones authorised by the DGCA: Vihaa for agritech and ATVA-1 for logistics.
Vihaa and ATVA-1
The ATVA-1 is a fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone with a wingspan of 1.7 meters, while the Vihaa is an agri-drone with a 10-litre tank and a 30-acre daily spraying capability. With a tested range of more than 55 km even when fully laden, the ATVA-1 can fly up to 60 km in straight-line circumstances and carry weights of up to 2 kg.
According to the business, 10,000 km of flight testing and six prototypes went into creating the drone. Using real-time kinematic (RTK) location, this drone can also make precise rooftop landings, which makes it ideal for densely populated Indian cities. Amber Wings hopes to leverage this element to propel its logistics strategy.
The ePlane Company, which was founded in 2019 by Chakravarthy and Pranjal Mehta, is creating electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can be used for both passenger and freight transportation inside urban areas. The ePlane Company and Amber Wings are the two primary businesses that operate under the umbrella of Ubifly Technologies, the company’s fundamental parent corporation.
Amber Wings specialises in drones; however, The ePlane Company is the main company focused on creating manned eVTOL aircraft. Originally created as an internal brand, the latter was recently split off as a distinct organisation.
Amber Wings Now Eyes for BVLOS and Yellow Zone Access Permission
Following its DGCA accreditation, Amber Wings is currently pursuing two crucial regulatory clearances—yellow zone access and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) permissions—that would enable it to greatly expand its operations.
Drones are currently prohibited from flying farther than a few kilometres from their takeoff location by BVLOS laws. The startup is creating a strong three-tier tracking system that combines satellite-based communication (satcom), LTE/4G mobile connectivity, and radio frequency (RF) communication in order to get around this. Regulators will be able to automatically monitor drone flights over vast distances once this arrangement is proven, opening up deep urban and intercity routes.
Amber Wings is also getting ready to operate in yellow zones, which are regions surrounding cities and airports where aviation is prohibited. Amber Wings anticipates that yellow zone operations will also be authorised following the conclusion of BVLOS trials.
It currently intends to conduct its first pilots in green zones, particularly in tier II and III cities where there are fewer restrictions on airspace.
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