Speedbird Aero DLV-2, Royal Mail’s latest recruit, has officially taken to the skies. In a major move in the robotics revolution, the Orkney Islands are now the first place in the UK to have mail delivered by drone.
Thanks to a challenging landscape and unsettled weather conditions, ferrying post up and down these remote Scottish islands has never been an easy task for regular postmen. It’s hoped this new operation by Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services will increase the safety of postal workers and improve services on the islands of Graemsay and Hoy.
Letters and parcels will be flown from Stromness on mainland Orkney to offices on the two islands where staff will collect them and continue on their usual rounds. Royal Mail also hopes that the fully electric aircraft, which can carry up to six kilograms of stuff, will help to reduce the company’s carbon emissions.
Alex Brown, director of Skyports Drone Services, said: ‘By leveraging drone technology, we are revolutionising mail services in remote communities, providing more efficient and timely delivery and helping to reduce the requirement for emissions-producing vehicles.’
The plan is for the service to operate as a three-month trial before continuing on a permanent basis if it proves successful.
Did you see that these UK islands could soon become part of Norway?
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