SwissDrones is excited to celebrate a groundbreaking development in U.S. drone operations: Southern Company has become the first utility in the United States to receive an FAA 14 CFR Part 91 exemption for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations using our unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
This milestone, achieved through their collaboration with Phoenix Air Unmanned, marks a major regulatory shift that could accelerate BVLOS adoption across critical infrastructure industries.
By leveraging SwissDrones’ advanced long-endurance UAS, Southern Company is transforming infrastructure inspections and storm damage assessments. With this exemption, the company can conduct faster, safer, and more cost-effective operations—minimizing the reliance on helicopters and ground-based teams while improving service reliability for customers.
More significantly, this approval signals the FAA’s increasing support for integrating BVLOS technology into national airspace. It sets a precedent for other industries looking to implement drone operations at scale.
As a leader in high-performance UAS solutions, SwissDrones is proud to support this regulatory breakthrough. We look forward to seeing BVLOS technology drive efficiency and innovation across the energy sector and beyond.
