Royal Mail is to trial drones for deliveries
DRONES will deliver Covid testing kits, health and safety equipment and other items to remote parts of the Isles of Scilly in trials by Royal Mail.
The company said it will be the first time that an out-of-sight, autonomous scheduled drone flight has been used between the mainland and an island.
The tests also include inter-island parcel deliveries across the Scillies.
The Government-funded project will initially focus on delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits to the islands’ most vulnerable and remote communities.
Parcels will be flown to its airport in St Mary’s by drone which can carry up to 220lb (100kg) of mail at a time – equivalent to a typical delivery round.
A smaller drone then takes over, transporting goods to a number of delivery points throughout the archipelago off the Cornish coast. The autonomous flight route involves being around 70 miles (113km) out of sight before it reaches its destination.
Royal Mail said if successful, the technology is likely to be introduced to support postmen and postwomen delivering to remote areas in the UK.
The trial will examine what fuel efficiencies the drones could provide, as part of the company’s drive to reduce emissions.
Amy Richards, a postwoman on the Isles of Scilly, said: “There are some really remote areas on these islands, and this is a terrific way to help us reach them. It’s really important for us to do all we can to help all areas of the country stay connected, especially in these difficult times.”
The pilot has been developed with DronePrep, Skyports, Consortiq Limited, the University of Southampton, Excalibur Healthcare Services andWindracers Limited.
And Royal Mail chief commercial officer Nick Landon said: “This is part of our constant drive to incorporate the best and most innovative technologies into our network.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in parcel volumes since the start of the pandemic.
“This is just one of the ways we are looking to support our postmen and postwomen in delivering fast and convenient services for all of our customers while reducing our carbon emissions.”