Four Russian companies issued certificates for commercial operation of drones

YEKATERINBURG. July 12 (Interfax) - Four Russian companies to date have been issued air operator certificates for the commercial operation of drones, as reported at a session on developing the unmanned aircraft industry during the Innoprom 2023 forum.

"We are the first recipient of an air operator certificate [for unmanned aerial vehicles] in the Russian Federation. I have also heard that at least two other market participants have received these certificates after us," Alexei Varyatchenko, CEO of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (BAS) LLC, a joint venture between JSC State Transport Leasing Company and National Technology Initiative Fund, said as a participant at the session.

Vladimir Pastukhov, head of the Agency for Technological Development, in turn corrected Varyatchenko, saying that, "There are now four [of these companies], with Aeromax receiving one last week, and two companies that operate drones in the Far East prior to that."

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) issues air operator certificates, which permit operating aircraft for commercial purposes. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles LLC in May this year was issued a certificate to operate drones weighing up to 30 kg.