Blue Dart, Skye Air team up for drone delivery of vaccines, medicines in Telangana

Telangana government will begin trial runs for delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, medical samples and other healthcare items using drones from Thursday and will last till October 17. Mumbai-based logistics company Blue Dart has teamed up with the drone delivery startup Skye Air Mobility for Telangana government’s “Medicine from the Sky” project.

The “Medicine from the Sky” project will make Telangana the first state across India to begin trials of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drones for delivering COVID-19 vaccines. The drone delivery startup Skye Air Mobility will conduct majority of these flights.

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First two days of the trials for the Medicines from the Sky will involve drones flying 500-700 meters from the base and can be seen with the naked eye. Drones will fly in the visual line of sight for the first two days of the trial. The BVLOS drone flights will fly for 9-10 kms distances from September 11, as per the official release.
 
“While the nation is focusing on achieving 100 per cent vaccination, the current situation calls for a much deeper penetration of vaccines, especially in the remote areas. Delivery of vaccination through drones would be a stepping stone to achieve this goal”, Blue Dart Managing Director Balfour Manuel said on the trials.

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Skye Air Mobility Co-founder Swapnik Jakkampundi believes this is the right time for drone delivery due to optimistic environment, right mind set, advancements in aerial technology and favourable government policy. “This move is in sync with our endeavours at transformational change in rural and remote areas by helping make instant access to vital medical supplies,” Jakkampundi added.

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