Drones firm Manna Air Delivery bags SAIL III Operational Authorisation from UK Civil Aviation Authority
Manna Air Delivery is laying claim to being one of the first drone delivery companies to receive a SAIL III Operational Authorisation (OA) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Under the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework, SAIL III authorisations are reserved for operations that require a high degree of regulatory scrutiny and demonstration of safety assurance. Achieving this standard requires operators to provide evidence across operational, technical and organisational domains, supported by detailed risk assessments, safety cases and independent review.
This builds upon a series of regulatory milestones achieved by Manna across Europe and the United States. In 2021, it became the first drone delivery company in Europe to receive a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) from the Irish Aviation Authority, providing the ability to self-authorise certain operations under the European regulatory framework. It has also expanded flight activities into additional European jurisdictions, including Finland, alongside continued regulatory engagement and operational growth internationally.
The assessment process also included independent review and support from Marshall in its role as a Recognised Assessment Entity for Flightworthiness (RAE(F)).
Manna’s Head of Regulation Kevin Houston says: "This authorisation represents an important milestone for us and reflects the significant effort invested across our organisation to meet the highest standards of safety and operational excellence. The UK CAA has established a rigorous and highly professional assessment process for advanced uncrewed aviation operations. Successfully completing that process provides strong independent validation of our systems, procedures, technology and organisational maturity."
"We would like to thank the team at the UK CAA for their engagement, professionalism and collaborative approach throughout the assessment process. Their commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining rigorous safety standards has been instrumental in bringing this authorisation to fruition. We would also like to thank Avtrain for its regulatory guidance and support throughout the application process, as well as Marshall for its expertise and proactive engagement as the Recognised Assessment Entity. Both organisations made invaluable contributions throughout what was a highly detailed and demanding regulatory process."
In April, Manna announced a $50 million Series B funding round, bringing total funding to $110 million, to accelerate the scaling of aerial delivery across the United States and Europe. The company plans to grow from 180 employees to more than 570, creating 400 new roles across Ireland and the US in robotics, software engineering, mechanical engineering, aviation operations, ground operations and regulatory functions.
The funding will support its expansion to 40 operational bases across the United States and Europe, building on live operations underway in Ireland and Texas. Manna has also expanded its platform partnerships, adding Uber to existing partnerships with Deliveroo, Just Eat and DoorDash, enabling customers to order through the apps they already use while Manna provides the aerial delivery infrastructure behind the scenes.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Drone delivery will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
