Dronamics launches drone-based cargo airline

Dronamics has launched a cargo drone airline that will manage same-day delivery services with the Black Swan, its flagship unmanned drone.

The Black Swan can carry 350 kg of cargo up to 2,500 km at an 80% lower cost than any aircraft, said Dronamics.

The developer and operator of large cargo drones said that its Dronamics Airlines service will have subsidiaries in Ireland, Australia and Canada, which are countries seen as leaders in drone regulations.

They will also be the regions with the first customer case services in e-commerce, pharma and spare parts logistics, details of which will be revealed later this year.

As part of its ramp-up for commercial operations, Dronamics has appointed aviation executive Sergio Oliveira e Silva as the chief operating officer (COO), a new senior management team position.

He joins the organisation from his former position of managing director, Asia of a global aviation services public listed company.

Over a 25-year career, Oliveira e Silva has held executive-level positions with some of the industry’s largest operating companies within different international regions for privately held and publicly listed companies.

Svilen Rangelov, co-founder and ceo at Dronamics, said: “This is an important milestone for us, and we are thrilled by the talent we are attracting to our organization that is embracing our vision to democratise airfreight. We will continue enhancing our experienced management team who will provide additional expertise to deliver our first commercial flight in a near future.”

Oliveira e Silva said: “I’m very much looking forward to being part of the team that will bring into the market the next-generation logistics networks for e-commerce, pharma, agriculture shipments, special cargo, and spare parts. I am excited to be again involved in another successful pioneer venture within the aviation logistics industry”.

As COO he will be responsible for the set-up and operations of the airline business, the deployment of the droneport network, and the upcoming operational authorizations under the fast-evolving drone regulations around the globe.

The company said that the appointment comes as the first step in building up a global structure that will support the roll-out of the same-day delivery service of Dronamics.

Based in London (UK) and Sofia (Bulgaria), Dronamics was founded in 2014 by the two Rangelov brothers, one an economist and the other an aerospace engineer.

The company’s team includes aerospace and logistics experts and is the winner of IATA’s Drone Innovation Award.

A private company, Dronamics is funded by leading entrepreneurs and executives in aviation, logistics, and technology from the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as by Founders Factory, Speedinvest and Eleven Capital.

Dronamics is IATA’s first Strategic Partner for drones worldwide and has been named by the European Commission as a Top 10 EU-Africa startup.