How we manage permits with the authorities: opening new routes also means building trust

A new type of operation requires a new way of working

When we talk about Drone Delivery, one of the first questions is usually: how do you get permission to fly?

The answer is not simple, because neither is the operation we set out to carry out.

At CIELUM we develop transport networks that connect hospitals, polyclinics and communities using long-range uncrewed aircraft. These operations can go far beyond the pilot's visual range, which is known as BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight), and they require different procedures from those used for a conventional drone flight.

It is not simply a matter of requesting authorization to take off. We need to show that the operation can be carried out within acceptable safety conditions, that the risks have been identified and that there are procedures in place to manage them.

Our work begins long before the first flight.

From the logistics need to the aeronautical analysis

The first step is to understand what we want to transport, from where, to where and how often.

With that information we design the routes, study the geography, analyze the weather conditions and identify possible conflicts with other aviation activities.

We also assess the take-off and landing sites, the means of communication, the contingency alternatives and the responsibilities of each member of the operation.

All of this goes into technical and operational documentation that allows us to work with the authorities on a concrete project, with defined risks, procedures and mitigation measures.

Our experience has taught us that regulating new operations cannot be approached as an isolated paperwork process. It is a process built jointly by those who develop the technology, those who operate it and those responsible for overseeing airspace safety.

Uruguay: building experience in real operations

In 2023 we began making health deliveries by drone in Tacuarembó, Uruguay, connecting the Regional Hospital with primary care centers in the department.

The project, developed with support from UNICEF, made it possible to carry medicines, clinical samples and breast milk using long-range uncrewed aircraft.

This experience was key to developing methodologies for planning, coordinating and managing recurring flights.

The work did not end with the initial authorization. Continuous operations made it possible to improve procedures, build up experience and develop digital solutions to make coordination with other airspace users easier.

By December 2025, the network had surpassed 500 health flights.

Panama: adapting the experience to a new environment

Implementing a Drone Delivery network in the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca posed different challenges.

The mountainous terrain, frequent rain, the proximity of aviation facilities and the need to operate from towns with limited infrastructure called for a specific analysis.

To address these challenges we worked with Panama's Civil Aviation Authority (AAC), in coordination with the institutions involved in the project, including the Ministry of Health (MINSA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the National Air and Naval Service (SENAN).

The process included technical meetings, route and risk analysis, the definition of procedures, aeronautical documentation and the coordination of the conditions needed to operate.

An important milestone came on 29 August 2025, with the formal registration of the project's first fixed-wing RPAS for humanitarian and health use, later announced by PAHO. This registration was a fundamental step forward, although authorizing a specific operation involves additional requirements.

Another institutional step came on 24 November 2025, when the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security signed an agreement to facilitate the use of drones to transport medicines and supplies.

The project then moved on to delivery operations, with health flights covered by the Panamanian press in September 2026.

Authorization is not the end of the process

Once an operation is authorized, an equally important task begins: maintaining safety conditions while it is carried out.

Each route requires planning, pre-flight checks, a review of weather conditions and coordination with the relevant stakeholders.

Changes to the infrastructure, the addition of new locations or changes in operating conditions may require additional assessments and authorizations.

That is why, at CIELUM, we build regulatory management into the entire life cycle of our networks.

Opening a route creates a new possibility

The experience gained in Uruguay and Panama has confirmed that the development of uncrewed aviation depends as much on technology as on institutional collaboration.

Every new authorized route represents a logistics capability that did not exist before. Every validated procedure and every documented operational experience helps lay the foundations for future applications.

Our vision is for Drone Delivery to stop being an exception and gradually become a standard tool for transporting critical cargo.

Achieving this requires trust, operational evidence and an ongoing collaborative relationship with the authorities.

At CIELUM, that work is also part of building the airways of the future.

Learn about our Drone Delivery projects and the health network developed in Panama.