Your next Royal Mail delivery waits in the wings!

Look up! Your next package may come from the sky!

Royal Mail has unveiled plans to use drone technology more frequently and create more than 50 new postal drone routes, supported by up to 200 drones in the next three years.

The plan, which is subject to the approval of the Civil Aviation Authority, will see uncrewed drones or pilotless aerial vehicles delivering letters and parcels to customers in remote areas.

The uncrewed aerial vehicles are designed to carry up to 100 kilograms of mail of all shapes and sizes for two daily return flights.

The project follows a new partnership between Royal Mail and logistics drone company Windracers.

Simon Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Royal Mail, said: “On-time delivery regardless of our customers location or the weather, whilst protecting our environment is our goal.

“Even though we go everywhere, Royal Mail already has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per parcel delivered, this initiative will help reduce our emissions even further.” 

Royal Mail has already conducted trials over the last 18 months including flights on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, on the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast and between Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay, on the Orkney Islands.