Merlin Announces Plans to Pursue a Civil Certification Strategy for Large Aircraft
BOSTON, Sept. 09, 2026 -- Merlin, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRLN), a U.S. aerospace and defense technology company building the operating system of record for autonomous flight, today announced plans to pursue a civil certification strategy that sets it on a path to bring autonomy to large aircraft. Merlin intends to implement a phased, methodical approach offering opportunities for safety and efficiency gains. To concentrate its efforts on large aircraft, the company is withdrawing its small aircraft Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) application with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ), and will apply the technical foundation and regulatory experience it built there to the new program. New Zealand will remain Merlin's Pacific flight test center and demonstration home, and the company intends to begin commercial operations there.