Drone Delivery Buyer Guide: Part 135, Part 107 and Operating Partners
What the different FAA authorities mean for a drone delivery programme, and how to tell who is actually operating the flights.
Why authority matters
Routine commercial package delivery in the US has generally been flown under a Part 135 air carrier certificate, often combined with exemptions and waivers for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight. Part 107 alone covers many commercial drone operations but is limited for paid carriage of property beyond line of sight. Ask every supplier which authority their flights will be flown under, and whose certificate it is.
Operator, partner or technology vendor?
Some companies hold their own Part 135 certificate and fly the aircraft. Others supply aircraft, docks or software and rely on an operating partner that holds the certificate. Both models can work, but your contract should name the certificate holder, the pilot-in-command arrangement, and who is responsible for maintenance, incident reporting and insurance.
How we label listings
On DroneLogisticsHub.com, "Part 135 Holder Verified" means we matched the claim to a public source; "Part 135 Partner Verified" means a named partner holds it; "Claimed / Unverified" means the company says so but we could not confirm it. Labels are a starting point only. Always confirm current authority directly with the FAA or the operator before contracting.
Questions to ask
Which certificate and exemptions apply to my routes? Is BVLOS approved for my specific area, or only elsewhere? What payload and range limits apply? What happens if weather or airspace closes the route? Who carries liability insurance, and at what limit?
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