Mark Blanks, holding the position of Global Flight Operations Head at Wing.

Mark Blanks Leads Global Drone Delivery Operations at Wing

Mark Blanks, an experienced aviation professional, serves as the Head of Global Flight Operations, Standards, and Regulatory Affairs at Wing, a pioneering drone delivery company. In this role, Blanks oversees and manages safety standards and operational aspects of drone delivery worldwide, ensuring large-scale, secure, and efficient drone deliveries.

As the head of Wing's global operations, Blanks is responsible for establishing and maintaining safety standards that meet or exceed aviation regulatory requirements. He also manages global operational strategies for drone delivery, including pilot programs, deployment scaling, and compliance with regional laws.

One of Blanks' key responsibilities is overseeing the integration of Technical Standard Order (TSO)-certified components or equivalent aviation-grade technology essential for safe drone navigation and flight control in various international airspaces. He collaborates with regulators and industry stakeholders to ensure that Wing's drone delivery operations align with evolving safety and policy guidelines.

Blanks' leadership is instrumental in advancing safe, scalable, and compliant drone delivery services worldwide. He chairs the ASTM F38 Committee on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, working on setting guidelines for safety, cybersecurity, and performance. Under his leadership, Wing has been overseeing its air carrier certification with the FAA, making it one of the first drone delivery firms authorized to operate as a U.S. airline.

Wing's delivery operations are supported in the United States, Australia, Ireland, and Finland under Blanks' leadership. At Wing, Blanks leads teams that manage every part of the flight process, including planning, pilot training, fleet maintenance, and safety checks. Before joining Wing, Blanks managed UAS research at Virginia Tech and contributed to the launch of the ASSURE Center of Excellence at Kansas State University.

Blanks views drone delivery as an essential part of future logistics infrastructure and emphasizes the importance of safety, regulation, predictability, standardization, continuous improvement, and public trust. His commitment to these principles underscores his dedication to making drone delivery a safe and reliable solution for the future.

Mark Blanks, holding the position of Global Flight Operations Head at Wing.