📦 Europe's first drone cargo airline can reduce freight costs by 50 percent

• Dronamics becomes Europe's first licensed cargo drone airline, offering cost-effective deliveries.
• The company's drone, Black Swan, can carry 350 kg of cargo and fly 2500 km.
• The technology enables deliveries to remote areas and can reduce costs by up to 50 percent.

Cheaper air freight

Brothers Svilen and Konstantin Rangelov founded the company Dronamics in Bulgaria in 2014 with the goal of democratizing freight deliveries in Europe. Their vision was to make next-day delivery possible and affordable even to the most remote regions, writes Tech Explore.

With EU funding support, the brothers have realized their vision. In 2023, they became Europe's first fully licensed cargo drone airline. Last year, they were awarded official designation codes from IATA and ICAO, giving them recognition on par with other international airlines.

Opportunities for smaller airports

Europe has over 2000 airports, but less than 1 percent of these accept cargo planes. Today, freight is mainly sent to large airports that can handle jumbo jets.

According to Rangelov, this is a major missed opportunity that drones can solve.

"If we could connect smaller airports and deliver packages there, it would be a boon for economic development in less well-connected regions," he says.

Black Swan - an efficient cargo drone

In May 2023, Dronamics conducted the first flight of its full-scale cargo drone, Black Swan. The remotely piloted fixed-wing drone can carry 350 kg of cargo, the same as a small delivery van, and has a range of 2500 km. It can also land at small airports and requires only 400 meters of runway.

Dronamics will be able to perform same-day international deliveries at up to 50 percent lower cost than traditional air freight, with up to 60 percent lower carbon emissions. The drone engines can run on both standard fuel and biofuel, and the company is working towards building a hydrogen-powered version.

Future plans

Dronamics is preparing to launch commercial operations starting in Greece, where they will connect the capital Athens with remote areas in the northern part of the country and some islands in the Aegean Sea.

The company plans to rapidly expand operations in the Mediterranean area and Europe with customers in e-commerce, package and postal deliveries, perishables, pharmaceuticals, and spare parts. They also see opportunities in growth economies, where improved supply chains can create conditions for economic growth.

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