Australian drone logistics company Swoop Aero has expanded its partnership with UK advanced air mobility company Skyports to deploy drone delivery networks across Europe and the Americas.
The collaboration said it will combine Skyports’ expertise in drone delivery operations with Swoop Aero’s technology and experience to enable increased access to drone delivery solutions.
In addition to streamlining and modernising traditional logistics networks, the partnership will aim to improve critical supply chains to support emergency responses, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
The announcement follows Swoop Aero’s recent launch of its Kite aircraft, designed with precision for urban flight and high-impact rural and remote operations. Swoop Aero added Kite will be the most advanced aircraft of its type being progressed through USA Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification programs.
With the partnership, Skyports will be the first partner organisation of Swoop Aero to gain access to the next-generation Kite aircraft as part of Swoop Aero’s Kite Pioneer Program. Skyports will incorporate the Kite into its fleet for usage across medical, maritime, and logistics drone delivery operations across Europe, the Americas, and select countries across Asia-Pacific.
Eric Peck, CEO of Swoop Aero, said: “We’re so excited to continue to work with Skyports in new markets across Europe and the Americas. With Kite, Swoop Aero has finessed our versatility and unlocked the skies above cities. We’re excited to unlock the potential of drone logistics for these new markets.
“Swoop Aero was founded to transform the way the world moves by making access to the skies seamless. In our collaboration with Skyports, we have been able to treat patients in their local communities and enhance the emotional and economic prosperity of people in the region.
“It’s great to see the positive impacts that have emerged from our strategic partnership, and we’re looking forward to extending our collaboration into new markets, and continuing to work towards Swoop Aero’s goal to provide 100 million people with access to sustainable drone networks by 2025.”
The companies began their partnership in late 2020, more recently Skyports has leveraged the Swoop Aero platform to support the transportation of pathology and blood samples to and from rural communities in the Argyll and Bute region in the west of Scotland.
