• UK-based drone logistics company Skyports and FedEx have announced a month-long trial for drone-based package deliveries in Ireland in collaboration with Future Mobility Campus Ireland Air (FMCI) consortium.

• The companies have already completed the first test flight, carrying a package from Shannon Airport in County Clare to Foynes Port in County Limerick, marking the first beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) in the region. Over this month, the companies plan to conduct a number of such test flights between the said airport and the port.

• They expect to make deliveries in less than 13 minutes, saving roughly 40 minutes of drive-time between the locations.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: The trial marks FedEx’s first engagement in the drone-based delivery space, even though this is not their first last-mile delivery automation effort. In fact, the company develops its own delivery droid dubbed “FedEx Roxo,” which is in the pilot stage. It also teamed up with Nuro in July this year, to trial autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs). Meanwhile, this marks a milestone for Skyports as well—its first drone deployment after receiving approval for BVLOS operations from the Irish Aviation Authority in late September. </ul>