ORKID partners with global UTM solution provider Unifly to integrate drones safely into Colombian airspace

ORKID is a leading autonomous cargo drone rush delivery service for enterprises.  

To ensure a safe and secure integration of drones into the airspace as well as successfully conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions, ORKID has partnered with Unifly, a leading Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology provider, in a series of test operations. 

The first test flights are scheduled to begin in the second week of March in the Tenjo Valley near Bogota, Colombia. The tests will be witnessed by the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority – Aeronáutica Civil, the Colombian Air Force as well as the Ministry of Transport.  

These flight operations will mark an especially important milestone in the certification process required by Aeronáutica Civil, so that ORKID can continue to conduct recurrent commercial flight operations in the near future.  

ORKID plans to follow the same approach in other countries where it is also pursuing regulatory approval certifications. 

Leon van de Pas, CEO of Unifly, confirms the partnership, “The Unifly UTM solutions are an enabler to safely conduct BVLOS operations at scale. We are pleased to be a part of this initiative and we believe that Unifly can offer great value to ORKID in this partnership, which in turn ensures safe and certifiable solutions to ORKID's customers in the countries where they operate.” 

Diego Pinzon, COO, and founder of ORKID also elaborates, “This was the last piece of the puzzle we needed to guarantee and showcase safe operations to the different civil aviation authorities in LATAM. Unifly’s vast experience in aviation and their unique solutions are going to help us comply with regulatory requirements, become ready for commercial operations, and scale our business.”