Drone Solutions Secures BVLOS Approval for Medical Deliveries in Zimbabwe
CAAZ authorization clears the way for long-range KITE operations linking regional health facilities with central laboratories
Drone Solutions International has received approval to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone deliveries in Zimbabwe. The company plans to begin with medical and pathology logistics.
The flights will connect regional health facilities with central laboratories, according to Kite Aero. Drone Solutions will operate the company’s KITE uncrewed aircraft system.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) approved an update to Drone Solutions’ operations specifications. The approval allows the company to move from training and demonstrations to daily delivery operations.
According to Kite Aero, the review took six months. CAAZ and the country’s Air Traffic Services provider examined the aircraft, operating manuals and risk assessment. They also reviewed procedures for airspace integration.
Drone Solutions completed a demonstration flight program in August 2026.
Operational Data Supports the Safety Case
Kite Aero supported the application with flight data from AXIOM, its drone operations management platform. The system records flights, flight hours and distance across the KITE fleet.
The company said AXIOM has recorded more than 41,000 autonomous flights and 20,000 flight hours. Those operations took place across Africa, Europe, the Pacific and the United States.
“We commend Drone Solutions for their hard work in taking a new category of aircraft through the approval process with a national regulator” said Philip van der Burg, CEO of Kite Aero and AXIOM. “With AXIOM as the system of record it was easy to support Drone Solutions and CAAZ in the approval process which unlocks a use-case in a new country. Zimbabwe now joins a growing list of jurisdictions where the KITE, powered by AXIOM, is approved to fly BVLOS.”
Drone Solutions operates a CAAZ-approved drone flight school in Harare. The new authorization allows it to add routine medical and pathology transport to its operations.
Pilots will use AXIOM to plan, authorize and manage each flight. The platform also includes the procedures accepted by CAAZ for risk management and airspace coordination.
AXIOM tracks aircraft hours, battery cycles and maintenance records. This gives the operator and regulator a shared source of operational information.
“CAAZ set a high bar, and rightly so. Introducing BVLOS drone delivery into national airspace is a serious undertaking,” said Jeremiah Musabayana, CEO of Drone Solutions. “The regulator and Air Traffic Services engaged with us in detail on operations and airspace management, and the depth of operational data behind KITE and AXIOM allowed us to answer every question with evidence. We are ready to start flying for our customers.”
A Long-Range Logistics Platform
The KITE is a fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed for long-range logistics. According to Kite Aero’s specifications, it can fly 240 kilometers one way with a 2.5-kilogram payload. It offers a 115-kilometer return range with the same payload.
The aircraft can carry up to four kilograms. Actual payload and range depend on operating and regulatory conditions.
The Zimbabwe approval follows Kite Aero’s recent move to begin KITE production in Geelong, Australia.
Kite Aero said KITE has approval for BVLOS operations in 24 other jurisdictions. These include countries across Africa, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, Europe and the United States.
Drone Solutions and Kite Aero also plan to expand into Mozambique, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Zimbabwe approval now provides a path toward regular BVLOS medical deliveries within the country.