Skyports Drone Services and Royal Mail will extend their drone delivery service in Orkney until at least February 2026.
The Orkney I-Port project is the first UK commercial drone delivery service to be implemented on a regular basis under existing regulatory frameworks (using a beyond visual line of sight with visual mitigation framework), establishing a daily inter-island mail distribution service between Stromness on Orkney’s Mainland and the islands of Graemsay and Hoy.
Now one year old, the fully electric drone delivery project has improved connectivity, safety and service provisions in the island region. The 517 flights so far, operated in all weather conditions, have covered a total distance of over 1360 km.
The service’s extension is being funded by Connectivity for Remote Orkney Future Transport (CROFT), a UK Space Agency funded project.
Working in partnership with Orkney Islands Council Harbour Authority and Loganair, Skyports’ drone delivery operations have shortened Royal Mail delivery times by up to 24 hours and improved efficiency and reliability. Royal Mail’s local postal workers have acted as visual observers (VO) for the flights and Loganair has supported pilot transport to and from Orkney.
The new phase of the project will include hardware and software upgrades. For example, Skyports and drone manufacturer Speedbird have made updates to the drone technology in the past 12 months to enhance operational reliability and enable flights in higher winds and more adverse weather, in preparation for flying in the winter months. In addition, Skyports’ pilot-in-command now operates the drones remotely from the company’s Remote Operations Centre near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. This change streamlines operations and reduces the need for Skyports’ staff to remain on the ground in Orkney.
The project extension also sees new take-off points with the touchdown and lift off area relocated to the Royal Mail delivery office in Stromness to further streamline operations and reduce delivery times. Additional Royal Mail staff will also be trained to manage tasks related to the receipt and dispatch of mail delivery drones.
Skyports has completed several trials and tests across Scotland, including five projects with Royal Mail which explore the feasibility of using drone operations to deliver letters and parcels. The Orkney mail delivery project is the longest running project to date.
Alex Brown, Director, Skyports Drone Services, said that the next phase of work in Orkney will explore how 5G can support drone operations in harsh rural environments and provide key learnings that can be applied to other future projects.
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