Proactive Investors - Royal Mail (LON:IDSI) is taking to the skies over the Orkney Islands. That's because the letter and parcel delivery group and Skyports Drone Services have announced the launch of the Orkney I-Port operation, a daily drone delivery service between three islands on Orkney.
Funded by the Department for Transport's Freight Innovation Fund and established in partnership with Orkney Islands Council Harbour Authority and Loganair, this project isn't just a flash in the pan. It's set to run initially for three months, with hopes of a future extension.
Why drones? Well, those familiar with Orkney's weather know that a calm day can be as rare as a correctly addressed Christmas card from Auntie Edna. Regular ferry pauses during rough weather have been a thorn in the side of local posties.
The drones will transport letters and parcels from Royal Mail's Kirkwall office to Stromness, where Skyports will take over, buzzing packages over to Graemsay and Hoy. From there, traditional postal workers will carry out their usual rounds.
Not only will this innovative project shorten delivery times, but it also means significant safety improvements and emission savings. The Speedbird Aero DLV-2 aircraft, capable of carrying up to 6kg, will be the workhorse of this operation.
Royal Mail is owned by stock market-listed International Distributions Services PLC.