Drone zones expanded for crisis deliveries
Air traffic authority gives lift-off for unmanned aircraft to fly in packages for essential services
“Air corridors” are to be created where drone-flying rules are relaxed in order to deliver goods during the pandemic and beyond. In a 23-page plan, the Civil Aviation Authority says it will lift the ban on drones flying out of the sight line of their operators in designated “zones” provided the operators show they can meet safety standards. One flying medical supplies into the Isle of Wight has already been approved while another will deliver to remote islands in west Scotland.
“AIR corridors” are to be created where drone-flying rules are relaxed in order to deliver goods during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
In a 23-page plan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says it will lift the ban on drones flying out of the sight line of their operators in designated “zones” provided the operators show they can meet safety standards.
One flying medical supplies into the Isle of Wight has already been approved while another will deliver medical equipment, testing packs and pathological samples to remote islands and communities in west Scotland.
Drone companies say the coronavirus pandemic has provided a major “catalyst” to accelerate the use of “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVS) to deliver commercial products as well as medical supplies.
They say the technology minimises the risk of spreading coronavirus by removing human contact and will offer a cheaper, quicker and cleaner way of transporting goods. A study by the industry found that transporting half of the annual 3.5 billion packages by drones would reduce the number of delivery vehicles by 53,000 and cut CO2 emissions by 250,000 tonnes.
During the pandemic the CAA says it will prioritise applications from operators working for the NHS, hospitals, Government departments or its agencies, police, fire and ambulance services but others will be considered on a “first-come, first served” basis.
The CAA says it will lift the ban on autonomous, out-of-sight flying provided applicants can show their unmanned aircraft can be safely flown and landed without causing injury or colliding. It will be initially limited to 90 days in the zones, known as “Temporary Danger Areas” where the drones are segregated from other craft such as helicopters, light aircraft and microlights. The CAA says the pandemic offers an opportunity to develop the technology because “segregated airspace will be significantly easier to establish than usual, primarily due to the lower number of other airspace users who it will affect.”
An air corridor has been approved from Southampton to the Isle of Wight allowing a drone to make 10-minute flights four times a day with medical supplies for NHS staff at St Mary’s Hospital, near Newport.
The petrol-fuelled Windracers Ultra fixed-wing drone, which is capable of carrying 100 kilograms (220 pounds) for up to 621 miles will start by carrying PPE safety equipment but could be used in the future for time-critical supplies such as blood and organs.
Uk-based Skyports, one of a handful of firms approved on a CAA drone testing programme, says its plan for a similar initiative in west Scotland will slash delivery times for supplies that currently have to go by road and ferry to islands or remote communities.
“We have been working on the technology for some time, going through the safety case and proofs. What has happened now is that we have put the pedal to the metal and accelerated what we are doing so we can provide meaningful use,” said Duncan Walker, Skyports founder and chief executive. “Coronavirus has heightened the importance of the use and put some turbocharge behind the process.”
The CAA says drones must “meet at least the same safety and operational standards as manned aircraft”.
The next step will be to develop reliable on-board “detect and avoid” technology that will enable drones to fly freely where they are integrated with other aircraft. Skyports says it is weeks away from testing such a drone.