Skyports and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey begin drone trial

Skyports Drone Services has begun a one-year drone trial in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The trial, which began on 27 April, will see drones operate every weekday on a fixed route between the Downtown Skyport in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Marine Terminal for a period of 12 months.

The Port Authority stated that the drones would exclusively be used to carry non-hazardous, non-sensitive, non-biological cargo, such as pharmaceuticals on behalf of an unspecified nonprofit New York health system.

The goal of the pharmaceutical deliveries will be to assess the impact of drone operations on improving patient outcomes.

The scheme is the latest in the Port Authority’s efforts to assess the viability of drone-based logistics operations as an alternative to road transport.

When the trial is concluded, both the Port Authority and Skyports will assess the value, viability, and impact of the trial and whether it could be expanded to cover similar cargo drone routes in the region.

Skyports will also work with the healthcare system to evaluate the service’s impact on patient outcomes, and the possibility of implementing a permanent service.

It follows the completion of a two-week proof-of-concept test conducted in January by Skyports, in partnership with the Port Authority and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). That test used the same route, schedule, and aircraft.

Everdrone recently raised $3.88m in a funding round, allowing it to enter a new, commercial phase.