Hyderabad: Drone trials for delivery of medicines and vaccines will commence in Vikarabad in the state from September 9, and will be done till October 17.
‘Medicine from the Sky’ (MFTS) is a project of the state government and with the launch of the same, Telangana will become the first to start trials of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights for delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
Indian drone delivery start-up firm Skye Air Mobility which is a part of the consortium for this state project, will conduct the majority of drone flights. Skye Air has joined hands with BlueDart Express to provide drone-based delivery and drone flights to conduct these trials.
“The key elements that were deterrents in the sector for a long period are now in favour of this development. This move is in sync with our endeavours at the transformational change in rural and remote areas by helping make instant access to vital medical supplies,” said Swapnik Jakkampundi, Co-Founder of Skye Air Mobility.
With the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Telangana government has been exploring the scope of delivery of medical and healthcare provisions through drones across the state.
MFTS Project’s first two days of the trials will be flying in the visual line of sight, which involves drones flying between 500 to 700 meters from the base and they can be seen with the naked eye. From September 11 onwards, BVLOS drone flights will take place for 9 -10 kilometers distances.
These flights will be dealing with consignments of vaccines, medical samples, and other healthcare items.