Dronamics, a Bulgarian cargo drone manufacturer, has partnered with the logistics services provider DHL for cross-border and inter-city middle-mile deliveries of time-critical cargo across Europe. The pair aim to roll out the service next year commercially.

DHL plans to utilize more than 4,000 drones provided by Dronamics, which could translate to USD 2.1 billion in revenue.

Dronamics develops and operates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and launched its cargo drone (Black Swan) in 2018, which can transport roughly 770 lbs. over 1,550 miles. The company targets same-day shipping services for e-commerce, pharmaceutical, and time-critical products over long distances. Dronamics is currently working on obtaining approval for international unmanned flights, an industry first, with plans to complete its first production-scale drone by this October. The company claims Black Swan would be the first commercially deployed drone that can travel beyond 60 miles.

Analyst QuickTake: This marks the second partnership Dronamics has entered with the intention of making cross-border deliveries in Europe, following its partnership last month with the German international logistics services provider Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. The partnership with DHL can be considered a landmark for the cargo-drone sub-segment and positions Dronamics as a leading cargo-drone operator, ahead of similar companies such as Drone Delivery Canada, MightFly, and Aevum.