Dronamics will be able to offer cargo deliveries that are “several times cheaper than existing air freight”, the company’s CEO and founder Svilen Rangelov said.

Speaking to Robin Riedel, who co-leads the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, at the Farnborough International Airshow, Rangelov said: “We looked at all the airframes that existed on the market and we realised there’s a big gap and no one was really creating aeroplanes specifically for the cargo world. So we set out to do just that.”

Growing network

The Dronamics European Droneport network has grown to a total of 42 locations in 14 European countries.

Each droneport will enable same-day flights within the network using Dronamics flagship Black Swan large cargo drones, each with a capacity of 350 kg and a flying range of up to 2,500 km.

The company’s Black Swan aircraft is designed to land on short and unpaved runways, enabling on-demand point-to-point flights that would otherwise take days to reach over ground or sea.

Airframe efficiencies

Asked about operating costs versus traditional air freight, Rangelov added: “It will be several times cheaper than existing air freight.

“And we achieved that mostly through airframes and the fact that our pilots don’t travel with the vehicle.

“So we still have pilots and they need to be commercially trained and we operate just like another airline except our crews stay on the ground.”
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