Dronamics and ELTA join hands

Dronamics, the world’s first cargo drone airline to have a license to operate in Europe, together with Hellenic Post (ELTA) have announced a letter of intent (LOI) agreement that will bring the first postal services by cargo drone to Greece.

Dronamics, which designs, develops and operates cargo drones, will provide middle-mile deliveries to ELTA, Greece’s national postal service.

Starting with a domestic service connecting the Greek mainland with islands, the two companies are also exploring international cooperation to enable postal cargo drone deliveries from Athens to key European cities.

Greece is the launch market for Dronamics’ commercial operations, which are expected by the company to begin early next year. The cargo drone airline is focusing on establishing a same-day service connecting Athens with the industrial north of the country, as well as the islands in the south.

Dronamics believes that it can offer up to 80 percent faster, 50 percent cheaper and 60 percent lower CO2 emissions than freight moved by traditional modes, making it well suited to time-sensitive deliveries such as post and packages.

Its remotely piloted aircraft, the Black Swan, needs only 400 metres to land or take off, making it also a viable solution for remote and underserved areas where traditional airport infrastructure is either not available entirely or is underdeveloped.

There are over 300 inhabited islands in Greece whose communities can benefit from a faster, cheaper and green air cargo solution, a Dronamics statement declared.

Said Svilen Rangelov, co-founder and chief executive of Dronamics: “Dronamics is on a mission to enable same day delivery for everyone, everywhere, and joining forces with ELTA helps us move forward in our goal.

“This collaboration is a pivotal step toward empowering communities, bridging distances and making essential services affordable and accessible for everyone.”

Grigoris Sklikas, chief executive of Hellenic Post, added: “The Hellenic Post-Dronamics partnership is an important initiative that will change the map in the Greek courier market.

“Together with Dronamics, we will provide services all over Greece faster, farther and in a greener way. This partnership is a turning point in our reorganisation, since it summarises our motto for the future: Reaching everywhere, better.

Dronamics declares itself world’s first cargo drone airline. Its flagship Black Swan can carry 350 kg over a distance of up to 2,500 km (1,550 miles).

In October, Emirates Post Group (EPG) agreed an LOI with Dronamics to explore the use of cargo drones in the UAE.

Under the terms of this LOI, EPG will explore and trial Dronamics’ cargo drone service to enable same-day middle-mile and long-range deliveries.

Both organisations will collaborate towards developing a cargo drone delivery network in the UAE and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.