Overview
- Merlin introduced Condor to install its Merlin Pilot on large freighters such as Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s, targeting cargo operators facing pilot shortages and a surge in passenger-to-freighter conversions.
- Merlin Pilot functions as an AI copilot that manages aircraft systems, scans for hazards, communicates with air traffic control by voice, and monitors pilot alertness and fatigue.
- The company reports hundreds of test flights across multiple airframes and says it achieved the first fully automated takeoffs in April on fixed-wing testbeds.
- Development is anchored by a five-year, $105 million U.S. Special Operations Command program on the C-130J, which passed a preliminary design review in March and is now in airworthiness testing.
- Commercial operations will require FAA Part 25 approval, the transport-aircraft standard for carrying people or cargo, and Merlin disclosed a nonbinding pact with lessor World Star Aviation as regulators signal a cautious path that favors cockpit-assist roles before any crew reductions.