DRONE DEMAND SEEN GROWING FOR DELIVERIES

Electric aircraft such as drones could account for 30 per cent of same-day package deliveries by 2040 as network scale dramatically brings down costs, according to L.E.K. Consulting. The exact market share for vertical takeoff-and-landing aircraft will depend on how transport operators configure their networks and the comparable cost of transporting goods through road-based methods, L.E.K. said in a report Monday. Drones aren’t likely to replace traditional trucking but will add to existing logistics systems to avoid congestion. It’s the transport of cargo by remote pilots or autonomous technology that has attracted the attention of the world’s biggest companies. Amazon.com Inc. and Chinese e-commerce giant Jd.com Inc. have both talked up the prospect of deploying drones for deliveries.