The UAE took its first steps into autonomous aerial logistics, as several groups pool resources to trial drone deliveries and advance ambitions around smart mobility services.
Aviation technology provider Lodd Autonomous and public postal company 7X stated the drone delivery pilot held in capital city Abu Dhabi is a significant advance for the nation’s logistics sector.
“Autonomous drones introduce a transformative layer to urban delivery networks”, Lodd Autonomous CEO Rashid Al Manai explained.
The trial opens the potential for a single operator to “manage multiple deliveries simultaneously”, Al Manai said, highlighting the “new level of scalability and responsiveness” the step would bring to the logistics sector.
Lodd Autonomous and 7X worked with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office on the trial, advancing targets of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council involving integrated mobility set-ups. The trial also required collaboration with the General Civil Aviation Authority and Integrated Transport Centre.
Humaid Saber Al Hameli, director of the centre’s aviation transport division, explained airspace security and safety are priorities, with work ongoing to ensure regulations keep pace with developments in the unmanned aerial systems space. Lodd Autonomous and 7X pledged to maintain collaborations with regulators and industry players as drone delivery projects advance.
Ultimately, Abu Dhabi aims to rely more heavily on drone-based deliveries in its wider logistics set-ups: it committed to keep progressing regulations and focus on infrastructure developments as it seeks to lead regional development of autonomous air mobility systems.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Stock Image
