The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Reliable Robotics’ autonomous flight system.

The system enables continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation including taxi, take-off and landing. This achievement marks progress towards the certification of fully automated aircraft.

“Reliable is the only company that has reached this critical point, positioning them as the clear front-runner in the FAA certification process for autonomous aircraft,” said Eric Schulz, former Rolls-Royce and Airbus executive. “Reliable’s automation system will make aviation even safer and provide more affordable air transportation for cargo and passengers anytime, anywhere.”

The certification plan leverages existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft, and does not require any special conditions or exemptions.

“This agreement concludes many years of effort with the FAA to rigorously determine how autonomous systems will be integrated into aircraft,” said Juerg Frefel, CTO of California-based Reliable Robotics. “Working within current rules enables us and the FAA to move faster and continue to improve the high levels of safety we have come to expect in aviation.”

The autonomous aircraft system, recently demonstrated as part of US Air Force and Nasa flight test campaigns, includes key technologies that will prevent common causes of aviation accidents and improve operational efficiency. High integrity navigation systems make it possible to fly safely in lower visibility weather conditions without costly ground infrastructure. An always-on autopilot also lets any aircraft be remotely piloted with continuous engagement from departure gate to arrival gate.

“We are incredibly grateful to our FAA partners for their engagement and thorough review of this system, and are excited about the safety benefits this technology will bring to aviation,” said Robert Rose, CEO at Reliable Robotics. “Autonomy can and will be certified in the very near future, and this milestone is evidence that the USA and the FAA are going to be leading the way.”

Reliable Robotics launched in 2017 to bring safe, certified automation systems to commercial aviation. The company’s system enables remote operation of any aircraft type. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has a distributed global workforce.