Drone Safety

In a pivotal shift for drone operations, DJI, the world’s largest civilian drone manufacturer, has scrapped its proprietary geofencing system in favor of official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data across the United States. The update, effective January 13, 2025, changes the way drone operators navigate controlled airspace — placing full responsibility for flight safety and potential violations squarely on their shoulders.

Canada-based AVSS (Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions) has introduced the PRS-M4S, a Parachute Recovery System designed for DJI’s newly launched Matrice 4 series. This plug-and-play system is aimed at drone operators seeking regulatory approval to safely and legally conduct flights over populated areas.

AVSS made history in 2022 by becoming the first company globally to achieve ISO 21384-3 certification for uncrewed drones. Two years later, its pioneering efforts continue to set the standard for drone safety, influencing regulatory frameworks and inspiring advancements in the rapidly growing industry.

DJI has released a new firmware update for its Dock 2 drone-in-a-box solution, bringing critical upgrades to enhance functionality and improve user experience. The Dock 2, a state-of-the-art drone docking station, is designed for fully automated drone missions. It supports the Matrice 30 series drones and integrates seamlessly with DJI FlightHub 2 for mission planning and fleet management.

Drone fleet and airspace management specialist Aloft Technologies has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide B4UFLY services.

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has awarded Green UAS certification to Hoverfly Technologies’ Spectre drone. This makes Spectre the first tethered drone to meet strict cybersecurity and supply chain standards under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Spectre’s certification places it on AUVSI’s Green UAS list, alongside the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue UAS list.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the green light to the AVSS PRS-M3E, a parachute recovery system developed by Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS) for the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise and Mavic 3 Thermal drones. With this approval, drone operators can now legally fly these drones over people for commercial operations.

In a landmark decision, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the green light to the first Category 2 DJI drone (weighing more than .55 pounds) to fly over people without waivers.

US lawmakers are calling upon the Commerce Department to include Chinese drones in the evolving regulations for connected vehicles. Members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, in particular, have outlined concerns regarding the espionage capabilities of Chinese-made drones including DJI.

Canadian aerospace company Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS) has announced the launch of the PRS-M3E, a new parachute system for the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise and Mavic 3 Thermal drones.

Drone manufacturer Draganfly is enhancing the safety of its Commander 3XL aircraft line with the integration of parachute systems by ParaZero Technologies. The drone is used extensively in medical and emergency response operations, and having robust safety systems in place mitigates the risk of accidents significantly.

As the farming season starts in the US, the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) is urging drone operators to be extra careful near low-flying crewed agricultural aircraft. The safety of ag aviators is crucial because they help farmers on over 127 million acres of land to increase productivity and protect crops.

Dronavia, a French company that manufactures drone accessories, has released a new range of safety solutions for DJI’s industrial drones such as the Inspire 3, Matrice 350, Matrice 300, and Mavic 3.

Canadian aerospace company Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS) says the Government of Canada has awarded it a significant new contract. The company’s innovative drone safety tech stack, Guided Parachute Recovery System (GPRS) and Real-Time Intelligence Landing Software (RILS), is set to be tested against conventional drone parachute systems following integration with aerial logistics platforms DroneUp and Blueflite.

Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS) has announced the public release of PRS-M350, an ASTM F3322-compliant parachute recovery system for the DJI M350 RTK drone. Priced at $3,600, the product complies with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) M2 Mitigation Means of Compliance requirements and will enable complex flight operations for commercial drone operators.

ParaZero has announced the addition of a unique safety functionality for its drone safety parachutes to support geocaging capabilities.

ParaZero has announced the official release of SafeAir M30 Pro, a parachute safety system designed especially for the DJI Matrice 30 (M30) commercial drone.

ParaZero, an Israel-based company that builds drone safety systems for commercial aircraft and urban air mobility vehicles, has released a new parachute system. ParaZero’s SafeAir M350 Pro, which is designed for DJI’s latest enterprise drone M350 RTK, is now available to buy for advanced operations.

Drone Safety Day is the FAA’s annual campaign dedicated to educating the drone community about the importance of flying safely. Previously known as National Drone Safety Awareness Week, the event is returning for its fifth consecutive year on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

Drone navigation and awareness tech specialist Airspace Link is taking another step in its efforts to permit operators of all kinds to remain as fully informed on activity around their craft as possible with the launch of its AirHub Portal solution.

The European Union’s air transport regulator, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has issued its latest annual safety review, which in terms of drones shows a drop in incidents and accidents across the board.