London, United Kingdom (UK), 15 April 2020 – Drone delivery service provider Skyports has announced today that it has been accepted into the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Regulatory Sandbox to trial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights in non-segregated airspace.

The Regulatory Sandbox is a programme established by the UK CAA to create an environment where innovation in aviation can be explored in line with UK CAA core principles of safety, security and consumer protection.

Skyports, which specialises in operating end-to-end drone deliveries within the medical, e-commerce and logistics sectors, and the UK CAA will explore how regulatory approvals can be granted for drones controlled out-of-sight of the remote pilot to be flown safely within airspace that is shared with other aircraft, which is vital if permanent drone deliveries are to become a reality.

Duncan Walker, Chief Executive Officer at Skyports, said: “Using drone deliveries within supply chains can create significant time and cost savings.  The current COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the role that unmanned aircraft applications can play in keeping the flow of goods moving, especially medical products, limiting human contact and supplying hard-to-reach communities.

Images and quotes courtesy Skyports/Alex Brown