FedEx Express has completed its first scheduled last-mile aerial drone delivery in Ireland thanks to an innovative partnership with Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) Air.
The delivery marks the launch of a trial service delivering goods from FMCI, based at Shannon Airport, County Clare, to Foynes Port, County Limerick.
The drone deliveries were conducted by Skyports on behalf of the FMCI Air consortium which also includes Avtrain, Shannon Group and FMCI.
The delivery is part of a month-long trial which will see several test flights conducted in the Mid-West region, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) between Shannon Airport and Foynes Port, with deliveries anticipated to be made in under 13 minutes.
Mike Roche, operations managing director, FedEx Express Ireland, said, “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to deliver the world to our customers’ doorsteps and I’m delighted that this drone delivery trial is underway and an example of how we, as an industry, continue to explore new technology to help meet our customers’ evolving delivery needs.”
Julie Garland on behalf of the FMCI Air Consortium, said, “The caliber of the partners involved in this trial ensures its success. To test the incorporation of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone freight deliveries into global supply chain logistics is the future happening now. The location of this trial from the FMCI base adjacent to Shannon Airport, in controlled airspace, with full air traffic control services, demonstrates the integration of manned aircraft operations with simultaneous vertiport drone operations becoming the norm and paving the way for advanced air mobility.”