Bulgaria-based drone cargo airline, Dronamics, has successfully completed the maiden flight of its flagship aircraft, the Black Swan.
The flight, covering 16 miles and lasting just over 10 minutes, marked a significant milestone towards Dronamics' goal of launching commercial flights across Europe by the end of this year.
As the company moves towards obtaining Black Swan certification from the European Union, this test serves as a partial validation of their technology, which could be instrumental in their development. "Now we can focus on the next step, the launch of our commercial operations," stated Svilen Rangelov, the company's Chief Technology Officer.
The Black Swan is designed to replace traditional delivery vans, with a maximum payload of 770 pounds, placing it in line with short-haul ground transportation capabilities.
With a range of over 1,500 miles, it can cover the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles or any two points in mainland Europe, and the drone boasts a cargo capacity of 125 cubic feet, comparable to that of a minivan.
Dronamics promises to cut overall costs by half, reduce delivery times by up to 80%, and eliminate up to 60% of emissions compared to other modes of transport, including air freight.
Operating within the company's Droneports network, the Black Swan will complete urgent deliveries in industries such as e-commerce, healthcare, perishable goods, engineering, and mining.
By eliminating the need for onboard pilots, the company can significantly reduce trip costs, enabling them to offer deliveries for less than $2.50, up to 50% cheaper than existing same-day air cargo services.
Furthermore, the Black Swan is capable of flying either in fully autonomous or semi-autonomous mode.
With this successful inaugural flight, Dronamics appears to be well-positioned for its planned commercial launch later this year. The company also announced receiving a Light Operator Certificate from the European Union's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), marking the first certification granted to a drone cargo airline.
Issued by Transport Malta's Civil Aviation Directorate, the license permits Dronamics to conduct flights within EU member states, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, which are highly regulated in the unmanned aviation sector, according to Freightwaves.
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