Delivery by drone
Royal Mail has launched its latest trial to deliver mail by drone, in collaboration with drone specialists Skyports and Argyll and Bute Council.
The drone flights are running between the remote isles of Islay and Jura in the Inner Hebrides until 26 July, with posties loading and unloading mail on both sides for the first time.
Check out the stunning footage and see the trial in action, as well as the views of our colleagues by watching this film.
The multirotor drone, which can carry payloads of up to 6kg, is the same one used in our previous trial in Orkney. It is transporting mail that is usually taken via ferry in one of our vans.
The weather and geography of the Inner Hebrides can impact the ability to provide an uninterrupted delivery service. For example, pauses in the ferry schedule - by which some mail is transported - are common during poor weather due to the challenges of docking safely.
Chris Paxton, USO Programme Manager, said: ‘Trialling drones allows us to test out new ways of working to support our posties in delivering to the most remote areas of the UK. As parcel volumes increase, we are continually looking for new ways to provide a reliable, fast and lower emission service to all our customers no matter where they live.’
The use of electric drones for inter-island delivery also brings significant safety improvements, ensuring posties can deliver between ports and marinas without risk, as well as emission savings.
In November 2022, the UK Government awarded Argyll and Bute Council a grant of £250,000 via the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF) to work in partnership with Skyports to conduct a series of trials that will serve as a building block to showcase the potential of drones in enhancing vital public services.
