US firms join forces to develop medical drone logistics
Blueflite, Acadian Ambulance and Fenstermaker plan to create a drone-based solution for the delivery of medical supplies
Drone logistics start-up Blueflite has partnered with Acadian Ambulance, an employee-owned private ambulance service based in the Southern US, to develop a drone-based medical delivery solution.
The initiative will also have research and development support from Fenstermaker, a Louisiana-based survey and engineering firm with extensive experience in employing drones for the purpose of aerial surveying.
“We selected the Blueflite platform for its advanced technology and capability to deliver life-saving medical supplies safely and efficiently to those in need,” said Benjamin Swig, Director of Healthcare Innovation and Strategy at Acadian Ambulance. “This is the next step in the future of medical response, and we are excited at further development in conjunction with Blueflite and Fenstermaker.”
While the market for medical logistics drones continues to grow substantially – one report by Acumen Research and Consulting, released in August 2022, predicted a global market value of US$1.28 billion by 2030 – the partners face stiff competition from more established rivals.
California-based Zipline became the first operator to receive Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification to conduct long-range, on-demand drone deliveries in US airspace last year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.