Irish Drone Startup Abandons Home Market for U.S., Reversing European Regulatory Lead

Manna Aero, which proved autonomous drone delivery in Ireland, has scaled back Irish operations and shifted manufacturing to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company cites absent planning regulations at home that block scaling. The move inverts expectations from five years ago, when European BVLOS frameworks outpaced FAA rules. Manna keeps R&D in Dublin but now treats the U.S. as its primary growth market—a telling signal of which jurisdiction's regulatory pace now favors commercial drone logistics.