Drones could fly deliveries from France to Alderney
A firm in Paris has been working with Alderney Chamber of Commerce on a feasibility study.
Drones could fly deliveries from France to Alderney
The drone project is at the "feasibility study stage", developers say
A drone company is working with business leaders in the Channel Islands to assess whether drones could be used to deliver goods on the island of Alderney.
Paris-based firm DragonFlyPads has been working with Alderney Chamber of Commerce to collect opinions on the idea, which could include "urgent deliveries" of items such as medical supplies.
The chamber said it had been contacted by the company about using Alderney as a "platform" for deliveries, with flights initially coming from Cherbourg.
Sissel Thornstensen, CEO of DragonFlyPads, said the project was in the "feasibility study stage" but businesses had shown "considerable interest".
Thornstensen said the company had created software to make the deliveries "autonomous".
She added: "It really enables the drone, the operator and the landing infrastructure as well as the traffic management - as well as even weather data - to all come together and communicate through one integrated system."
Meanwhile, the results of a survey asking islanders about the "feasibility and potential demand for a small-package drone deliver service", were now being reviewed, the chamber said.
It said the aim was to find out whether "rapid, low-carbon aerial transit" could help local businesses get around "transport bottlenecks" and accelerate emergency orders.