One of the challenges for commercial drone deliveries is the management of multiple fleets in the same space. Today, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality opened a pilot route for operations by Airwayz, SkylinX and FlytechIL. As part of the program, Nespresso will deliver coffee capsules to a targeted group of customers, which the companies said will demonstrate the future of efficient and sustainable last-mile subscription delivery.
“The consumer experience is king at Nespresso,” stated Shai Dinur, director of customer care and services at Nespresso Israel. “I believe drone delivery could really transform the ordering process and our responsiveness, reducing delivery times, and really going the extra mile for consumers who love exceptional coffee.”
Partners tackle management, airports, and logistics
Airwayz Drones Ltd. claimed that it has developed the world’s first Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system based on artificial intelligence. The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company said its AI learns the dynamic urban environment, enabling a completely automated system for real-time management of unmanned airspace.
In the pilot program, Airwayz UTM manages multiple fleets of drones from different operators in the airspace at the same time. Drones and other low-flying aircraft are kept safe from collision, said the company. The process is optimized to allow drone operators to maximize airspace capacity, making deliveries as fast as possible without overcrowding it.
“This pilot program is another crucial step forward in showing that drone delivery not only works, but [also] has huge benefits in easing our overcrowded roads, contributing to sustainable last-mile delivery, and meeting the superfast demands of today’s consumer,” said Eyal Zor, CEO of Airwayz. “We will also show it to be cost-effective to prove the commercial benefit, but principally, it will be done safely.”
SkylinX Technologies, a developer and operator of the drone take-off and landing sites in urban settings, is a key partner in the pilot program. The startup is one of several participants in CityZone, an innovation lab and beta site established by Atidim Park Tel Aviv.
“Transporting packages with drones will not only decrease traffic, shorten delivery times, save time, and fuel and improve customer service, but it will also decrease pollution while being much cheaper,” said Eden Attias, chairman of SkylinX. “In the not-to-distant future, the field of deliveries will become robotic, and the entire process will be without human intervention. We are happy to be one of the companies leading the revolution in Israeli and global markets.”
Other partners include FlytechIL, which will pilot the drones; logistics company Flying Cargo, which will make the deliveries; and GettDelivery, a global transport company, which will help connect the new service to end customers.
Drone deliveries part of smart city initiatives
The route for drone flights runs along the coastline in of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, creating a direct connection between the Reading area in the north and Jaffa Port in the south. Moving over urban areas, popular beaches and a busy port, the pilot scheme provides a suitably challenging route to demonstrate the commercial viability of drone delivery.
As part of smart city initiatives, the drone delivery pilot program is intended to help reduce traffic and decrease the carbon footprint of delivery in Tel Aviv. The project will evaluate drone delivery in an urban environment in terms of safety, noise, and privacy considerations, as well as other challenges relating to flying drones in populated areas.
“The future is already here,” said Ron Huldai, mayor of Tel Aviv. “We are beginning a pilot in Tel Aviv-Jaffa that will test, in a measured and correct way, the ability to use drones commercially in an urban space. We do that in a controlled manner to assess capabilities, but also to find the right balance for free and open urban air routes.”
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