FAA clears Skyways to test offshore drone deliveries for Shell

The FAA has authorized Skyways, an Austin, Texas-based cargo drone manufacturer and operator, to fly from Gibson, Louisiana, to a Shell platform in the Gulf of Mexico for a pipeline inspection and simulated equipment delivery.

On the planned demonstration flight, the aircraft will inspect a pipeline right-of-way en route to the platform and simulate a delivery of equipment when it arrives.

The FAA announced the waiver allowing the flight on November 9, 2026, describing it as the first US authorization for a drone to fly from the coast out over the Gulf beyond its operator’s visual line of sight.

Skyways will launch its V2 aircraft from Shell Pipeline Company’s facility on the Gulf Coast. The V2 uses electric motors for vertical takeoff and landing, then switches to a heavy-fuel engine for cruise. A satellite link provides command and control offshore.

The FAA granted the waiver under Section 927 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. That provision gives the agency a way to authorize specific drone operations that fall outside existing rules.

Shell Pipeline Company already uses drones offshore and has worked with Skyways on pipeline inspections in the Gulf.

The demonstration combines that inspection work with a test of the aircraft’s cargo role.

Skyways said it hopes to use the V2 for more frequent inspections and eventually carry cargo to offshore installations for a fee.The post FAA clears Skyways to test offshore drone deliveries for Shell appeared first on AeroTime.

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