Approval Demonstrates Advanced Safety, Operational, and Regulatory Maturity. Milestone Reinforces Manna’s Position as a European Leader in Advanced Air Delivery Operations.
Dublin, Ireland, 18 June 2026 – Manna Air Delivery has become one of the first drone delivery companies to receive a SAIL III Operational Authorisation (OA) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), representing one of the most advanced operational approvals currently granted for uncrewed aircraft operations in the United Kingdom.
The authorisation marks a significant regulatory milestone for Manna and follows a comprehensive assessment process, undertaken with regulatory support from Avtrain, designed to evaluate the safety, operational, technical and organisational capabilities required for advanced drone operations.
Under the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework, SAIL III authorisations are reserved for operations that require a high degree of regulatory scrutiny and demonstration of safety assurance. Achieving this standard requires operators to provide extensive evidence across operational, technical and organisational domains, supported by detailed risk assessments, safety cases and independent review. The authorisation reflects the UK CAA’s confidence that Manna has demonstrated the systems, procedures and governance necessary to conduct advanced uncrewed aircraft operations in accordance with stringent regulatory requirements.
This latest approval builds upon a series of significant regulatory milestones achieved by Manna across Europe and the United States. In 2021, Manna became the first drone delivery company in Europe to receive a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) from the Irish Aviation Authority, providing the ability to self-authorise certain operations under the European regulatory framework. The company has also expanded flight activities into additional European jurisdictions, including Finland, alongside continued regulatory engagement and operational growth internationally. These milestones demonstrate Manna’s long-standing commitment to regulatory leadership and the safe integration of uncrewed aircraft within national aviation systems.
The assessment process also included independent review and support from Marshall in its role as a Recognised Assessment Entity for Flightworthiness (RAE(F)), providing an additional layer of technical and operational assurance throughout the authorisation process.
The approval provides further significant third-party validation of Manna’s operational maturity, safety culture and regulatory capability, demonstrating the company’s ability to satisfy some of the most demanding regulatory and safety requirements currently applied to advanced uncrewed aviation operations in Europe.
Manna’s Head of Regulation Kevin Houston said, “This authorisation represents an important milestone for Manna and reflects the significant effort invested across our organisation to meet the highest standards of safety and operational excellence.”
“The UK CAA has established a rigorous and highly professional assessment process for advanced uncrewed aviation operations. Successfully completing that process provides strong independent validation of our systems, procedures, technology and organisational maturity.”
The approval follows an extensive regulatory engagement process involving detailed operational reviews, technical assessments and safety evaluations.
Manna acknowledged the support and professionalism of all organisations involved throughout the authorisation process. “We would like to thank the team at the UK CAA for their engagement, professionalism and collaborative approach throughout the assessment process. Their commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining rigorous safety standards has been instrumental in bringing this authorisation to fruition. We would also like to thank Avtrain for its regulatory guidance and support throughout the application process, as well as Marshall for its expertise and proactive engagement as the Recognised Assessment Entity. Both organisations made invaluable contributions throughout what was a highly detailed and demanding regulatory process.”
The achievement further strengthens Manna’s position as one of Europe’s leading advanced air mobility operators and a recognised standard bearer for regulatory compliance, safety assurance and operational excellence within the European uncrewed aviation sector.
As regulators across Europe continue developing frameworks for advanced uncrewed aviation operations, the ability to secure higher levels of regulatory approval is increasingly viewed as a key indicator of operational readiness and organisational capability. As the sector continues to evolve, robust regulatory approvals will remain central to enabling the safe and scalable integration of uncrewed aircraft into national transport and logistics ecosystems.
Manna’s continued regulatory progress comes against a backdrop of rapid commercial momentum and growing global adoption of advanced last-mile air delivery. In April 2026, Manna announced a $50 million Series B funding round, bringing total funding to $110 million, to accelerate the scaling of aerial delivery across the United States and Europe. The company plans to grow from 180 employees to more than 570, creating 400 new roles across Ireland and the US in robotics, software engineering, mechanical engineering, aviation operations, ground operations and regulatory functions.
The funding will support Manna’s expansion to 40 operational bases across the United States and Europe, building on live operations already underway in Ireland and Texas. Manna has also expanded its platform partnerships, adding Uber to existing partnerships with Deliveroo, Just Eat and DoorDash, enabling customers to order through the apps they already use while Manna provides the aerial delivery infrastructure behind the scenes.
Together, these milestones demonstrate that drone delivery is moving from trial phase to scaled infrastructure: regulated, commercially integrated, and increasingly embedded into the future of suburban last-mile logistics.
This latest authorisation represents another important demonstration of Manna’s regulatory maturity and its ability to work successfully with aviation authorities across multiple jurisdictions. It reinforces the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety, compliance and operational excellence as advanced uncrewed aviation continues to evolve internationally.
About Manna Air Delivery
Manna is the largest and most advanced drone delivery operator, dedicated to improving the world by making lightning-fast suburban deliveries affordable, green, and safe. With its proprietary technology, Manna ensures safe, sustainable, and fast delivery services, operating in the highest population density of any drone delivery operation globally.
The company has completed over 300,000 successful deliveries and operates under the regulatory framework of EASA, setting the global benchmark for drone logistics. Partnering with both global giants and local businesses, Manna delivers a wide variety of goods including books, groceries, over the counter pharmacy, meals and essentials in just minutes, empowering businesses and significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Founded in 2019 by Bobby Healy, Manna has raised over $110 million in funding to date.
For more information visit: https://www.manna.aero/community