With their home offices based out of Leiden, Netherlands, Airbus has become one of the leaders in aerospace innovations. They are known for their commercial air ships (including the largest ever passenger airliner), helicopters, and military defense airships. But like many other aerospace companies, they are also making a name for themselves in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones. The development and implementation of drones is becoming one of the fastest growing aerospace divisions ever.

Airbus’s most recent drone project is called Skyways that will focus on testing reliable package deliveries made by drones. Along with Wilhelmsen Ships Services, a logistics company they plan to start testing their Skyways drones in collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. The goal of this project is to find a way to simplify the shipping process along the overcrowded Singapore marinas. The drones will be tasked with delivering packages from the docks to ships anchored off shore.

One test has already been completed. A drone took off from Singapore’s Marina South Pier with a 3.3lb package. It then flew autonomously .93 miles to a ship offshore to deposit the package, finally returning back to the dock. In total the mission took about 10 minutes. Of course, this test was with a relatively small package over a short distance, but it still serves as a milestone when it comes to successfully using drones to deliver packages.

Airbus was thrilled with the result and they plan to continue with further trials. They believe that the Skyways will be able to transport packages weighing upwards of 8lbs over a distance close to 2 miles. When it comes to visualizing the amount of packages coming and going within a port like the ones found in Singapore, this still may seem minute. But in actuality it is quite large.

If these drone delivery trials prove viable, they could save shipping companies a fortune in time, physical labor, and productivity costs. They will free up space along the marina docks by allowing packages to be delivered offshore. They will cut down on risks made to workers that are often injured on the docks. Not only can these drones simplify and speed up delivery times, but Airbus also hopes that they will provide a more environmentally friendly means of delivery.

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