Skyward announces first commercial drone network demonstration
PORTLAND, OREGON, Oct. 28, 2014 – SkyWard, a leading software platform for the aerial robotics
ecosystem, today announced the Urban SkyWays Project, the first end-to-end demonstration of a
commercial drone network operated with full regulatory and insurance compliance.
SkyWard is partnering with NASA to incorporate technology and research from their UAS Traffic
Management (UTM) System into the Urban Skyways Project. The first demonstrations will take place
in Las Vegas, Vancouver, London, and Portland, Ore. Each city will showcase demonstrations such
as drone deliveries, emergency-response capabilities, infrastructure inspection and network
coordination.
Urban SkyWays is a partnership between top aerial robotics manufacturers, commercial operators,
and airspace management agencies. It will demonstrate urban commercial package delivery and
emergency response by aerial robots, also known as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“The airspace is a great place to build a new highway” said SkyWard CEO Jonathan Evans. “Bringing
together global partners solidifies the magnitude of this project, and is the first step in enabling the Aerial Robotics Network and realizing its potential.”
of Portland, DJI Innovations, Drone Deploy, NASA, Pix4D, Sky-Futures. The Project will showcase what is possible with aerial robotics and demonstrate the standard of professional aviation safety needed to develop commercial systems that the public can trust.
Transport Risk Management Inc. is the official insurance partner for Urban SkyWays. Insurance for
all US flights will be underwritten by Global Aerospace, a leading global provider of aviation insurance
which is backed by Berkshire Hathaway and Munich Re, among others.
All flights are compliant with jurisdictional regulations and will operate under the appropriate authorization, including: Certificate of Authorization (COA) issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA); Special Flight Operation Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada, or Permission to operate small unmanned aircraft from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
(CAA).
About SkyWard
SkyWard provides a pathway for businesses to manage legal and insured flight operations around the world.
Unique, portable identities for drones and people give managers real-time visibility on assets in the field;
customer requests can be efficiently dispatched; and flight operations can be tracked at all times. Logs for aircraft and personnel are automatically updated and the information flows seamlessly to the regulator and insurer as needed. SkyWard works with regulators and local governments to map and establish safe urban flight corridors, and provides access to those corridors to operators through its network. As a member of the Small UAV Coalition and DroneCode, Skyward collaborates with cross-sector industry experts to build the Aerial Robotics Network safely and in accordance with regulations.
