Merlin Achieves SOI 3 Approval for Autonomous Flight System

Merlin has reached a critical regulatory threshold in its pursuit of certified autonomous flight, securing Stage of Involvement 3 (SOI 3) approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand for its core flight control and communication systems.

Announced in a press release on August 6, 2026, the milestone confirms that the software underpinning the Merlin Pilot platform has been verified against regulatory standards. The approval advances the company’s Part 23 certification program and was coordinated with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Advancing the Merlin Pilot certification program

The SOI 3 certification specifically covers two primary components of the Merlin Pilot architecture: the Flight Control Computer (FCC) and the Automated Communication System (ACS). The ACS is designed to interpret spoken air traffic control instructions and convert them into actionable commands, such as heading, altitude, and airspeed adjustments, which are then executed by the FCC.

In addition to the SOI 3 milestone, Merlin concluded an issue paper with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ) establishing the certification approach for the artificial intelligence and machine learning natural language processing capabilities used in the system.

Merlin Chief Technology Officer Tim Burns stated that the achievement establishes a foundation for certifying the company’s flight autonomy and artificial intelligence capabilities.

“This milestone underscores Merlin’s approach of building trusted autonomy in partnership with regulators. This is significant as we’re not building experimental AI, but rather aviation-grade autonomy that performs full phase autonomy from takeoff to touchdown,” Burns said.

Commercial targets and military integration

The regulatory progress aligns with Merlin’s stated timeline to introduce autonomous flight into commercial revenue service. The company operates a flight test and development center in Kerikeri, New Zealand, where it has conducted hundreds of autonomous test flights.

Merlin Founder and CEO Matt George previously outlined the company’s operational targets, noting that no traditionally crewed, fixed-wing aircraft has flown autonomously in commercial revenue service. George stated the goal is to achieve this milestone in New Zealand by 2027.

Alongside its civil aviation efforts, Merlin is developing autonomous capabilities for military applications. The company holds an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract with the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with a ceiling value exceeding $100 million. This program focuses on integrating the Merlin Pilot into the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, a project that completed its Preliminary Design Review in March 2026.

The company has also expanded its focus to larger commercial platforms. On July 23, 2026, Merlin signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries to develop autonomy for Part 25 commercial cargo aircraft. This followed a July 17, 2026, demonstration at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, where the company completed an autonomous landing using a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan.

AirPro News analysis

We view the completion of SOI 3 as a major de-risking event for Merlin’s certification program. In aviation software certification, Stage of Involvement 3 is the phase where regulatory authorities verify that the software code actually satisfies the design requirements and that the testing procedures are robust. Passing this stage indicates that Merlin’s engineering processes for novel artificial intelligence and machine learning applications are meeting the strict safety standards required by CAANZ and the FAA.

By pursuing concurrent development paths across Part 23 utility aircraft, Part 25 large cargo aircraft, and military transport platforms, Merlin is diversifying its integration risk. The successful conclusion of the issue paper regarding natural language processing is particularly notable, as certifying non-deterministic AI systems for critical flight operations remains one of the most significant regulatory hurdles in the advanced air mobility and autonomous aviation sectors.

Sources: Merlin, Inc.