Cologne, Germany – Just eight months after receiving SAIL II approval, Urban Ray has achieved another significant milestone by securing SAIL III operational approval from the German Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, LBA). This marks a crucial step in our capability to operate in real-world urban environments and brings us closer to scaling our autonomous aerial logistics solutions.
Urban Ray joins a small group of European companies operating under SAIL III. As Germany continues to push regulatory frameworks for autonomous flight, we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the safe and responsible development of aerial logistics.
Advancing Safety, Compliance, and Operational Readiness
Securing SAIL III required Urban Ray to enhance its capabilities for technical and operational compliance, manufacturing production standards, and pilot training. This achievement reflects our commitment to upholding the highest aviation safety standards and our ongoing efforts to safely integrate aerial logistics into urban environments in close collaboration with aviation authorities.
“The SAIL III approval highlights the thoroughness and diligence with which we’ve developed our systems and processes, building on our experience gained in previous steps,” said Fabian Binz, COO and Co-Founder at Urban Ray, “We’re now equipped to operate in urban settings, knowing that we meet the requirements for safe and efficient aerial logistics.”
Unlocking More Routes and Real-World Operations
With SAIL III, Urban Ray can now take on increased operational complexity, enabling flights over populated areas and expanding our network of delivery routes to urban settings. The approval allows for an increased level of ground risk, meaning our aircraft can operate safely in environments with a greater number of people along the route.
“SAIL III allows us to advance our operations and improve our technology in more dynamic environments,” said Adriana Martínez, Technical Compliance and Certification Engineer at Urban Ray. “We now have the opportunity to refine our systems while collecting real-life data that will help us optimize for future operations.”
What’s Next?
With SAIL III, Urban Ray will now advance toward commercialization. Our focus is on working closely with customers to optimize our capabilities and conducting continued flights to ensure reliable and efficient operations.
Urban Ray will begin operations in Cologne with Laboratory Dr. Wisplinghoff, where we will go live with a dedicated route to deliver medical samples later this year. As we expand our routes and transition toward full operational mode, we will bring aerial logistics closer to practical implementation in the heart of Europe.
About Urban Ray
Urban Ray offers scalable, fully autonomous aerial logistics services for urban delivery. Based in Cologne, Germany, we specialize in medical transport, aiming to reduce patient waiting times by delivering critical biomedical goods, such as lab samples and cytostatic drugs, more efficiently than road-based alternatives. Our Hub system, combined with autonomous aerial couriers, enables high-frequency, secure deliveries without human interaction, contributing to the future of urban logistics.
For more information, visit urban-ray.com.