Royal Mail partners with consortium to use drone to deliver a parcel
Royal Mail has joined forces with a consortium of UK drone companies to enable it to become the first nationwide UK parcel carrier to transport a parcel for recipients via an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Working with DronePrep, Skyports and What3words, the company arranged an initial drone delivery to a remote lighthouse on the Isle of Mull earlier this month.
Royal Mail said it will be embarking on a consultation programme and trial in the New Year, which will explore the viability of using drones to deliver to rural communities on the island.
As part of the trial, Isle of Mull residents will be invited to use the DronePrep platform to assess the viability of their property for drone delivery and pinpoint a suitable landing location within their ownership using the What3words integration.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: “Delivering the first live parcel in the UK by an unmanned drone was a landmark day for us. We are incredibly proud to be working with DronePrep, Skyports and what3words to trial new ways to support the more remote and isolated communities we serve.
“This is part of our constant drive to incorporate the best innovative technologies into our network. We’ve seen a huge increase in parcel volumes this year and this is just one of the ways we are looking at to support our frontline delivery staff and deliver fast, convenient and green services for all of our customers.”
