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The drone flights will run between the isles of Islay and Jura in the Inner Hebrides until Friday 26 July, with postal workers loading and unloading mail on both sides for the first time.
Chris Paxton, Royal Mail’s Head of Drones, said: “This drone trial is the latest step in our innovative collaboration with Skyports.
“Trialling drones allows us to test out new ways of working to support our posties in delivering to the most remote areas of the UK.
“As parcel volumes increase, we are continually looking for new ways to provide a reliable, fast and lower emission service to all our customers no matter where they live.”
The drones can carry weights of up to 6kg and have been used in Royal Mail’s previous trial in Orkney. They will deliver mail that is usually taken to the isles via ferry in a Royal Mail van, with bosses at Royal Mail highlighting the poor weather and geography causing disruption to ferry services and consequentially delays in mail and packages.
This is the sixth time that Royal Mail has trialled drones and the second using Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) flying, which allows drones to travel further than the standard Visual Line of Sight by making use of ‘trained observers’ along its route.
The observers keep the pilot, who is flying the drone remotely, updated on critical information to ensure the drone maintains a safe distance from other air users, structures and any hazards.
Royal Mail also claims the use of electric drones for inter-island delivery brings significant safety improvements, ensuring postal workers can deliver between ports and marinas without risk, as well as emission savings.
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The sixth trial in collaboration with Argyll and Bute Council is funded from a £250,000 grant that was given to the local authority by the UK Government in November 2022.
The trials will serve as a building block to showcase the use of drones and their ability to enhance vital public services.
Cllr Jim Lynch, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: “We are working hard to make good things happen in Argyll and Bute and these innovative trials could transform the way vital services are delivered to people in our most remote communities. Not just council services either, but other local authorities, businesses, organisations, and emergency services throughout the UK – there is huge value in partnership working to help bring benefits to the people of Argyll and Bute.
“In addition, by creating a permanent UAV Hub at Oban Airport, we will be investing in future industries. We will be delivering new, greener jobs, and boosting the local economy while continuing to drive down carbon emissions both now and in the future to create a climate-friendly Argyll and Bute. This is a very exciting time for everyone involved.”
In 2020, Royal Mail became the first UK parcel carrier to use a drone to deliver a parcel. The company worked with a consortium of drone companies, including Skyports, to deliver to a remote lighthouse on the Isle of Mull using a drone.
Royal Mail and its partners achieved two further ‘firsts’ in 2021, becoming the first UK parcel carrier to deliver mail to a UK island via an out-of-sight autonomous drone flight and trialling the first inter-island drone flights in the UK with a smaller vertical take-off and landing drone.
Alex Brown, Director of Skyports Drone Services, added: “Argyll and Bute has been an important region for our UK flight trial and demonstration work over the years. With its coastal and island geography, drone services can significantly improve connectivity and bring substantial time savings for essential services such as medical logistics. We’re pleased to conduct more flights in the region with the Royal Mail and Argyll and Bute Council thanks to the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund.”
