Drone Solutions wins CAAZ approval for Kite BVLOS deliveries

Drone Solutions International has obtained regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) to conduct drone delivery operations. The approval, granted for the KITE uncrewed aerial system, specifically covers beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights, clearing the path for commercial drone logistics across the country.

The approval followed a six-month process led by Drone Solutions. The company guided CAAZ and the national Air Traffic Services provider through a comprehensive review of the aircraft, its operating manuals, operational risk assessments, and airspace integration procedures. A live demonstration flight programme was conducted in August 2026 to complete the evaluation.

The Role of AXIOM Flight Data

Kite Aero, the manufacturer of the KITE system, supported the application with extensive operational evidence from its AXIOM drone management platform. AXIOM serves as the system of record for the entire KITE fleet, logging every flight, flight hour, and kilometre flown. This data encompassed more than 41,000 autonomous flights and 20,000 flight hours conducted in Africa, Europe, the Pacific, and the United States.

Philip van der Burg, CEO of Kite Aero and AXIOM, stated, "We commend Drone Solutions for their hard work in taking a new category of aircraft through the approval process with a national regulator." He added that the data made it "easy to support Drone Solutions and CAAZ in the approval process which unlocks a use-case in a new country."

Launching Medical Logistics Operations

With the CAAZ approval finalized, Drone Solutions can now transition from training and demonstrations to daily commercial operations. The initial focus will be on medical and pathology logistics, transporting samples and supplies between regional health facilities and central laboratories. Drone Solutions also operates a CAAZ-approved drone flight school in Harare.

Under the approved framework, Drone Solutions pilots plan, authorise, and operate every KITE flight through the AXIOM platform. The system embeds the CAAZ-accepted operational risk assessment, flight planning, and airspace coordination procedures. It also automatically tracks airframe hours, battery cycles, and maintenance across the fleet, providing a trusted data source for both the operator and the regulator.

A High Regulatory Bar

Jeremiah Musabayana, CEO of Drone Solutions, acknowledged the rigorous standards set by the Zimbabwean authorities. CAAZ set a high bar, and rightly so. Introducing BVLOS drone delivery into national airspace is a serious undertaking, he said. Musabayana credited the depth of operational data from KITE and AXIOM with allowing the team to answer every regulatory question with concrete evidence.

Zimbabwe is now the latest country to approve the KITE system for BVLOS operations. According to the source, it joins 24 other jurisdictions across Africa, the UK, Australia, Europe (under EASA rules), and the United States (under FAA rules). This approval also represents the first phase of a regional expansion plan by Drone Solutions and Kite Aero, targeting operations in Mozambique, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.