Skye Air and BlueDart to kick start trials for vaccine delivery by drone

The much awaited drone delivery trials for delivery of medicines and vaccines will be held in Vikarabad, Hyderabad from 9^th September till 17^th October. ‘Medicine From The Sky’ is a project of Telangana Govt and it will become the first State to start trials of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights for delivery of Covid-19 vaccines. Indian drone delivery start-up firm Skye Air Mobility which is a part of the consortium for Government of Telangana "Medicines from the sky" Project will conduct the majority of drone flights. Skye Air has joined hands with BlueDart Express to provide drone based delivery and drone flights to conduct these trials.

MFTS Project’s first two days of the trials will be flying in the visual line of sight, which involves drones flying between 500 to 700 meters from the base and they can be seen with the naked eye. From 11th September onwards BVLOS drone flights will take place for 9 -10 kms distances. These flights will be with consignments of vaccine, medical samples and other healthcare items.

Speaking on the trials which begin on 9^th September, Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart says, “Our battle against COVID-19 continues to unfold with new challenges that need solutions in real-time. The pandemic has taught each one of us the importance of logistics and the need for a tech-led supply chain infrastructure. As an organization Blue Dart has always immersed itself with the technology of the future. It is this ability that has helped us to not only withstand the pandemic but operate exceptionally well. India rolled out a nationwide vaccination campaign that has administered over 70 crore Covid vaccine doses so far. While the nation is focusing on achieving 100% vaccination, the current situation calls for a much deeper penetration of vaccines, especially in the remote areas. Delivery of vaccination through drones would be a stepping stone to achieve this goal.”

Skye Air focuses on an end-to-end ecosystem for drone based logistic transportation. Swapnik Jakkampundi, Co-Founder, Skye Air Mobility said, “The key elements that were deterrents in the sector for a long period are now in favour of this development. The environment is optimistic, people have the right mind set, favourable government policy and aerial technological advancements, drone delivery will be a game changer very soon. This move is in sync with our endeavours at transformational change in rural and remote areas by helping make instant access to vital medical supplies. We are extremely delighted to be a part of this project with the Telangana Government and our tie up with leading firms to give the first live demonstration trials which are being conducted in realtime with real vaccines & medicines being carried.”

Skye Air is a licenced company who is compliant with aviation safety norms and well aware of risk mitigation measures in case of emergencies. As per the Expression on Interest, the company will have two certified remote pilots who have been specifically trained for the BVLOS trials during the project.