Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) has become the first public utility services provider in Colombia certified by the Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Aeronautics Authority), commonly known as Aerocivil, to operate unmanned aircraft systems, the company announced Thursday, following a rigorous evaluation and audit process. The certification backs a drone operation EPM has developed progressively since 2018; the company currently flies 22 drones with 56 accredited pilots.

Flights are governed by Colombia’s Reglamento Aeronáutico de Colombia (Aeronautical Regulation of Colombia), known as RAC 100, which sets the national rules for operating unmanned aircraft systems. EPM also built a Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad Operacional (Operational Safety Management System) specifically for the drones, assigning roles, procedures, committees, and change- and risk-management mechanisms. Within the company, internal guidelines for drone use are set by the Área Tecnologías de la Operación (Operations Technology Area), part of the Gerencia de Tecnologías y Procesos (Technology and Processes Management).

To run the fleet day to day, EPM built a hybrid structure that combines centralized oversight with decentralized operations inside the business units that use the aircraft. The centralized component assigns responsibility for operational safety, pilot coordination and maintenance, along with shared processes for documentation, training and incident notification; flights themselves are carried out by pilots and area managers who hold defined responsibilities under the model.

“This certification recognizes a capability that EPM has been building around the responsible and safe use of drones. It’s not just about acquiring aircraft, but about having trained pilots, procedures, risk management, and an operational safety structure that makes it possible to obtain useful information to care for our infrastructure and support service delivery.”

— Edgar Alexis Fernández Cardona, head of EPM’s Operations Technology Area

EPM uses the aircraft to inspect electrical grids, substations, power generation plants, reservoirs, water supply and sewer systems, and treatment plants, and to track civil works progress, manage risk, respond to emergencies, and produce photogrammetry and three-dimensional models of its infrastructure. The company said drone use reduces worker exposure to height, cuts inspection times, and generates precise, standardized, georeferenced information, including real-time weather tracking during the current El Niño pattern affecting the region.

Pilots must train at an authorized Centro de Instrucción Aeronáutico (Aeronautical Instruction Center) and pass Aerocivil’s theoretical exam, which covers aeronautical regulation, meteorology, communications, human factors, risk management and safe drone operation. They must also hold a current occupational medical certificate and complete recurrent training, flight hours and internally established procedures.

According to EPM’s own corporate disclosures, the company is wholly owned by the Municipality of Medellín, operating as an industrial and commercial state company rather than a publicly traded firm, and it provides water, sewerage, electricity and gas service across Medellín and the greater Valle de Aburrá metropolitan region, home to roughly 2.6 million people. The company is the parent of a business group of 44 subsidiaries operating in Colombia and abroad.

Colombian business outlet La República also reported the certification this week, corroborating EPM’s account of its fleet size, pilot roster and the 2018 start date for its drone program.