Manna First to be Awarded a Light UAS Operator Certificate by Irish Aviation Authority

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has today issued its first ‘light UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) operator certificate’ (LUC) to Manna, the Irish drone delivery start-up headquartered at NovaUCD.

Manna, which also has offices in Wales, builds and operates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which perform high-speed deliveries of takeaway food, groceries and pharmacy goods/supplies of up to 3 kgs (6.5 lbs) in suburban last-mile settings.

Manna was the first company to apply for a LUC, following their recent trials of drone delivery services in rural Ireland. The company’s successful application follows a rigorous assessment of their operational capabilities in line with the new EU drone regulations, which came into force at the start of the year.  

The LUC is recognised in all EU Member States and provides drone operators with significant business opportunities across the single market.

Bobby Healy, CEO, Manna said, “This achievement marks the culmination of our two-year engagement with the IAA and is a strong endorsement for Manna, the nascent European drone delivery industry, and Ireland as a tech-epicentre for drone technology. We thank EASA, and IAA for their vision and leadership, our delivery partners, and of course our wonderful trial customers in Oranmore and Moneygall for helping us to get this far.”