Skyports Drone Services has launched a new project in Yeosu City, Korea, for the delivery of pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs by drone. The project will be the first time Skyports Drone Services operates flights with new drone partner RigiTech.
The Yeosu City drone project, supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MoLIT), Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (KIAST)and Yeosu City government, will provide inter-island drone deliveries within the coastal Yeosu region of Korea. It is the first of a series of flight trials and proof-of-concept projects conducted by a drone services consortium made up of Skyports Drone Services Korea, Marine Drone Tech and RGB Lab. The first phase of the project launched in June this year and will continue until November, says the press release.
Phase one of the project will see regular flights operated between the Yeosu mainland and three islands (Gaedo, Geumodo, Songdo) providing an airbridge for communities in hard-to-reach parts of the region. Through the five-month project, the consortium aims to demonstrate the viability, safety and benefits of drone operations, and highlight how regular services can improve welfare, access, and connectivity for island residents and local businesses.
The beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) service will fly distances of 20-60km. Using a mobile application which has been developed for the project, island residents will be able to request the delivery or collection of a range of cargo, including:
- Pharmaceutical goods (with the intent to carry more complex medical goods, such as pathology samples, in the future)
- Restaurant food and groceries
- Fresh seafood (such as sea urchins and octopus), caught by islanders and sold to restaurants on the mainland
The project will be conducted using RigiTech’s Eiger drone system, Skyports Drone Services new light payload electric VTOL aircraft. The Yeosu City project is the first commercial outing for the RigiTech Eiger since Skyports Drone Services and RigiTech began their partnership and follows months of extensive flight testing. The Eiger has been selected due to its large volume 3kg payload and long distance BVLOS capability, which makes it well suited to the Yeosu geography. The aircraft joins the similarly capable Swoop Aero Kookaburra III and Kite in the Skyports Drone Services fleet and will support the drone operator’s scale-up and contingency planning.
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