The British postal company Royal Mail is starting a trial to transport corona test kits and other mail items from the British mainland to the Isles of Scilly using drones.
A large and a small uncrewed aircraft deliver mail to the sparsely populated archipelago, which is about 45 kilometres off the southwest coast of England, for a month, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
The trial is funded by the government and the University of Southampton, and several drone companies are involved. A large, twin-engined drone can carry 100 kilos of mail and can fly in adverse weather conditions, such as fog.
That plane takes the mail from the mainland to the airport of St. Mary on one of the islands. The smaller drone transports the mail from there to the other islands. During the test period, the drones mainly transfer corona tests and take online orders from retailers.
If the trial is successful, Royal Mail is considering including the drones in the postal network to deliver mail and parcels to remote areas.
Amy Richards, a local mail carrier in the Isles of Scilly, said she was delighted to be part of the project: “There are some remote areas in these islands, and this is a great way to help us reach them. “
Royal Mail delivered its first item by a drone last December when it sent a package to a remote lighthouse on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. The company plans to consult with residents of the island in the coming months about using drones to deliver mail.