UK approves automated drone superhighway for cargo deliveries

An automated drone superhighway designed to transport cargo has been approved by the U.K. government as part of an ambitious funding package for the country’s aerospace sector. The Skyway superhighway will connect the English cities of Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry and Rugby across 165 miles of infrastructure for pilotless drones by mid-2024. When complete, it will be the world’s longest automated drone superhighway, according to a July 18 release from aviation technology company and Skyway developer Altitude Angel. [caption id="attachment_57131467" align="alignright" width="300"] Source: Altitude Angel[/caption] Reading, England-based Altitude Angel was given approval by the U.K.’s Department for Business, Energy and Strategy (BEIS) to construct the Skyway project over the next two years as part of a 273 million pound ($329 million) funding package. More than $14.4 million will be set aside for the project. In addition to working with local city councils along the proposed route, Altitude Angel has partnered with telecommunications company BT Group and tech startups including Skyports and HeroTech8. U.K. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced the project July 18 during the Farnborough International Airshow. Currently drones cannot be flown without a human pilot, however the Skyway project’s infrastructure allows a series of ground-based sensors to guide unpiloted drones along a route. The sensors can detect in real time where drones are on the route. That data is then analyzed by a traffic management system which prevents the drones from colliding. Challenges for the project arise from regulation rather than the technology itself, Altitude Angel Head of Corporate Communications and PR Stephen Farmer told Air Cargo World . The company is working with the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure project safety and still awaits CAA certification. “Once certified, we will be able to roll out further superhighways and extend the infrastructure — putting superhighways which are driven by the commercial needs of operators and customers,” Farmer said. “As the system is highly automated, there is no maximum limit to the number of drones which can operate in the superhighways.” Drones in airfreight Altitude Angel hopes the airfreight industry embraces drone superhighways for their low operating costs and sustainability. Superhighways “will provide [the airfreight industry] with an ability to transport high-value, low-volume goods over large distances using aircraft powered by renewable fuels,” Farmer said. “We don’t expect drones to take the place of traditional aviation [but] rather complement and provide alternative methods of transport, when appropriate.” A number of operators have expressed interest in the project for cargo drone deliveries, he added. As drones become more prevalent, the airfreight industry has already begun to invest in the nascent technology. Malaysia-based low-cost carrier AirAsia called cargo drone deliveries the “next frontier,” and is planning to introduce drone operations by expanding its network within the Klang Valley in Kuala Lumpur. The carrier is currently awaiting regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) to do so. In the U.K., Royal Mail Group and logistics drone company Windracers in May announced a partnership to create 50 postal drone routes using more than 200 drones over the next three years to service the country’s remote islands. Like Skyway, the project awaits CAA approval. Drone Delivery Canada also earned its Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada in early June, with plans to begin operations in isolated villages in northwest Canada as part of British Columbia’s drone initiative. See also: Flying forward: Integrating cargo drones beyond health care Meanwhile, other companies have launched drone subsidiaries for cargo delivery, including Alphabet’s Wing , Amazon’s Prime Air and UPS’ UPS Flight Forward , attaining certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate as small carriers.

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