DEPLOYDatabase

Regulation · Operational restriction

FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States)

The US FAA's 14 CFR Part 135 operating requirements for commuter and on-demand air carriers. Drone-delivery operators obtain Part 135 air-carrier certification to fly commercial beyond-visual-line-of-sight delivery routes; Zipline received Part 135 certification in 2022. Part 135 certification is distinct from the specific FAA BVLOS exemptions that later removed visual observers on particular routes.

Jurisdiction: United States


Machine-readable surfaces

Sources (4)

  1. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-G/part-135
  2. https://www.zipline.com/newsroom/news/announcements/zipline-receives-faa-part-135-air-carrier-certification
  3. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/june/27/zipline-gets-faa-part-135-certification
  4. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/faa-certification-puts-drone-firm-zipline-in-league-of-its-own

Status history

  • In effect · 2022-06-01 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (drones V1 AEO chunk - FAA Part 135)

    Part 135 air-carrier operating requirements in effect; drone-delivery operators (e.g. Zipline, 2022) certify under it. Baseline status event (drones V1).

Common questions

What does FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) cover?
The US FAA's 14 CFR Part 135 operating requirements for commuter and on-demand air carriers. Drone-delivery operators obtain Part 135 air-carrier certification to fly commercial beyond-visual-line-of-sight delivery routes; Zipline received Part 135 certification in 2022. Part 135 certification is distinct from the specific FAA BVLOS exemptions that later removed visual observers on particular routes.
Where does FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) apply?
FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) is recorded as a operational_restriction applying in United States on the DEPLOY registry.
Is FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) still in effect?
FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) is currently in effect and applies to covered operators in the named jurisdiction.
What types of robots does FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) apply to?
FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States) is recorded as applying to drones on the DEPLOY registry.
Which robot models on the DEPLOY registry fall under FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States)?
8 robot models on the DEPLOY registry match the form-factor scope of FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States): A200-XT, AEVEX Strike Drone, ALIA-250, AeroVironment P550 and 4 others. Form-factor scope match does not by itself establish compliance status; review the underlying primary sources for each operator.
Methodology: Verified · 4 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-05-31

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-05-31

Architectural position

Cohort: aerial

Sources by quality tier

4
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification (United States).

Canonical ID 80543d85-6cff-4a72-ad71-ea7e58012665