• German drone delivery provider Wingcopter has partnered with Air Methods, an air medical service provider, to deploy its drones for medical deliveries across the US, in a program dubbed “Spright.” This marks Wingcopter’s first deployment in the US.

• “Spright” will utilize Wingcopter’s latest drone model “Wingcopter 198” and Air Methods’ existing bases in more than 300 locations Air Method currently serves hundreds of hospitals across 48 states making almost 100,000 deliveries a year, especially in rural areas, using a fleet of 450 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. 

• The pilot of the project will take place this fall (September–November), partnering with Hutchinson Regional Medical System, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

<ul><li>Wingcopter is a drone delivery startup engaged in transporting medical supplies to remote health facilities, and food and other parcels to private customers. The company is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of drones and also offers drone Delivery-as-a-Service. Its latest drone model “Wingcopter 198” unveiled in April , is designed to make three separate drone deliveries in a single flight. The drones are capable of carrying up to 13 lbs., covering a range of 68 miles (without cargo) at a maximum speed of 62 mph.</ul>

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Even though the partnership marks Wingcopter’s US first deployment, it already has a presence in other international markets including Kenya, Vanuatu, Malawi, Tanzania, Ireland, and Japan to provide drone-based medical deliveries—in addition to inter-office parcel delivery trials at the Frankfurt University of Applied Science. Funds for this expansion were made available to the company in January this year when it raised USD 22 million in a Series A funding round to expand its operations to the US and launch the new drone model. Wingcopter will now compete with other drone-based medical delivery companies in the US including Zipline and Matternet.</ul>