Xwing Launches Regional Air Operations and Delivers its First COVID-19 Vaccines

Xwing today announces it has successfully completed, through its subsidiary, its first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in the US. The company received FAA approval in late-November and started piloted commercial cargo operations on December 1. It will continue to safely and quickly deliver vaccines via its fleet of Cessna 208B Grand Caravans as it scales its commercial operations. 

The cargo delivery trip to Holbrook, AZ, part of a larger nationwide logistics operation, carried highly-anticipated COVID-19 vaccines to the hard-hit and largest Indian Reservation in the United States, the Navajo Nation. The coronavirus continues to devastate the Navajo Nation as the region records some of the highest infection rates compared to other states due to various factors such as unreliable road infrastructures and a lack of access to basic medical care and supplies. 

Given Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine’s limited shelf-life, strict storage and security requirements, express air cargo feeder operations, that Xwing and others provide, are a critical piece of the nation’s logistics network to ensure secure next-day delivery to smaller localities nationwide. 

“The US has reached a huge milestone in developing the vaccines, but now the challenge remains in broadly distributing those doses across the country quickly and efficiently,” said Marc Piette, founder and CEO at Xwing. “At Xwing, we’re honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this operation by using our cargo planes to deliver thousands of vaccines to some of the locations that need it most.”

Historically, the aviation and logistics industries have focused on the transportation of goods to major cities and airport hubs, resulting in delayed deliveries to communities outside of these regions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this trend has proven to be incredibly detrimental to public health. A lack of PPE, medical supplies and resources has resulted in significant and lasting shortages. Xwing has set out to leverage the United States’ vast and underutilized small airport network to transport the vaccine to often overlooked cities and towns.

The news comes on the heels of Xwing’s 800lb cargo delivery of PPE and school supplies to the Navajo Nation this fall. Earlier this year, Xwing successfully completed non-commercial flight demonstrations of the first fully autonomous air cargo flight out. Xwing’s Autoflight System retrofits existing aircraft to convert planes into optionally piloted vehicles. Unique to Xwing is its first-of-its-kind onboard flight control systems that allow the aircraft to navigate, take off and land autonomously, and avoid other aircraft, ensuring more cost-effective operations for cargo deliveries.

About Xwing

Xwing is the first company to introduce autonomous technology for regional air cargo. With the goal of meeting growing unmet logistics demand, Xwing’s human-operated software stack seamlessly integrates with existing aircraft to enable regional pilotless flight. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. To learn more, please visit xwing.com.

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