Unreliable ferries prompts Royal Mail drone deliveries to Orkney

Could the use of drones solve the problem of unreliable ferry services impacting mail deliveries to the Scottish islands?

Royal Mail has teamed up with firm Skyports to use drones as part of the service to the Orkney Islands.

They expect the three-month trial to “revolutionise connectivity, access and safety”.

How the drone mail deliveries work

Postal deliveries currently arrive from mainland Scotland to Kirkwall Airport via the Loganair RMA Orkney Flyer.

From there they are delivered to residents on Orkney’s main island, mainland, or transported to one of the 19 other inhabited islands via ferry or small passenger plane.

However, pauses in the ferry schedule are common during poor weather due the challenges of docking safely.

Skyports Drone Services will establish a daily inter-island mail distribution service.

This will initially operate between three locations across Orkney for three months, with the intent to extend.

Under the plans, post will travel by ground from Kirkwall to a Stromness hub.

Then it will continue its journey by drone to Royal Mail sites on Graemsay and the North of Hoy. Postal workers will then carry out their usual island delivery routes.

The new service will launch within weeks.

Drones provide ‘safe and reliable’ service

Alex Brown, director at Skyports Drone Services, said the system will provide time, cost and emission savings benefits.

He said: “Rural and maritime logistics are contingent on access, weather and personnel.

“If one of these factors is compromised, so too is the ability to provide a safe and reliable service.

“Orkney is just one example of a hard-to-reach location that will benefit significantly from regular recurring drone operations.

“We’re looking forward to showing how our flights can improve existing services on the island, improve connectivity for residents and support the work of Orkney’s postal staff.”

The project will deliver two new capabilities: daily inter-port delivery of Royal Mail items and the demonstration of shore-to-ship deliveries.

The I-Port project is  the first UK drone delivery project which can run on a permanent basis under existing regulatory frameworks.

Chris Paxton, head of drone trials at Royal Mail, adds: “Using a fully electric drone on a permanent basis supports Royal Mail’s continued drive to reduce emissions associated with our operations, whilst connecting the island communities we deliver to.”

Skyports previously used its technology to carry out a trial of school meal deliveries from Oban Airport.