Drone delivery trials take to the air in Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute Council is working with drone specialists Skyports Drone Services (Skyports) to carry out a series of flight demonstrations and inspections to explore how drone deliveries can benefit remote communities and businesses in the area.

The UK Government awarded Argyll and Bute Council a grant of £250,000 in November 2022, via the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF), to work in partnership with leading industry experts and conduct a series of trials that will serve as a building block to showcase the potential of drones in enhancing vital public services.

The RPF is a grant-based fund to enable UK regulators and local authorities to help create a UK regulatory environment that encourages business innovation and investment. The current £12m round is being delivered by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. 

Over the last few weeks, the council and Skyports have been using Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAVs) to undertake trials for various operations that are vital to the local authority and the communities it serves. These trials include river inspections, food sample collections, and samples from private water supplies.

The council, in collaboration with Skyports, is supporting other organisations like the Royal Mail, NHS, Network Rail, and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) in improving the provision of critical services in the area. This collaborative effort aims to demonstrate how these organisations can improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of their operations and better serve customers by implementing electric drone services.

The council previously worked with Skyports in 2022, when it became the first local authority in the UK to trial the feasibility of school meal delivery via drone. The trials were also utilised to monitor and evaluate the use of UAVs in visual maintenance surveys. As a result, the council is now looking to create a permanent UAV Innovation Logistics Hub at Oban Airport. The Hub will be a base for electric drones to transport medicines, biological samples, and cargo between islands and the mainland.

The leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Councillor Jim Lynch, said: “We are working hard to make good things happen in Argyll and Bute and these innovative trials could transform the way vital services are delivered to people in our most remote communities. Not just council services either, but other local authorities, businesses, organisations, and emergency services throughout the UK – there is huge value in partnership working to help bring benefits to the people of Argyll and Bute.

“In addition, by creating a permanent UAV Hub at Oban Airport we will be investing in future industries. We will be delivering new, greener jobs, and boosting the local economy while continuing to drive down carbon emissions both now and in the future to create a climate-friendly Argyll and Bute. This is a very exciting time for everyone involved.”

Alex Brown, Director of Skyports Drone Services, said: “Argyll and Bute has been an important region for our UK flight trial and demonstration work over the years. With its coastal and island geography, drone services can significantly improve connectivity and bring substantial time-savings for essential services. We’re excited to begin more flights in the region.

“It’s our hope that through these trials we will be able to demonstrate that there is a pressing need for new drone regulation that enables the integration of UAS operations with existing aviation. Once new airspace solutions are unlocked, we will be able to implement our tried and tested drone delivery and inspection services at scale, so more communities and businesses can benefit.”

Science Minister, Sir Patrick Vallance, said: “Fresh thinking and new regulatory approaches will give confidence to investors, researchers and consumers alike. We want to encourage businesses to choose the UK as the best destination to develop their new ideas and bring great technologies to market.

“Our funding for these 15 pioneering projects – from drone deliveries for remote communities to using AI in healthcare – will give UK regulators and local authorities the support they need to accelerate innovation and turn it into success in every corner of the country.  With our help, innovators working on these projects can experiment with technologies that will transform vital public services.”