Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and DRONAMICS, a leading middle-mile cargo drone developer and operator have announced a partnership today to develop and offer a pioneering new transport service for the cross-border transportation of time-critical goods.
As part of the cooperation, Hellmann plans to offer the first routes with unmanned cargo drones from DRONAMICS as early as next year.
The partnership will provide customers seeking an on-demand solution for shipping goods with an integrated service, with DRONAMICS’ next-generation middle-mile service offering a speedy delivery at a competitive cost.
The two companies will work together to develop the initial routes that they will be piloting for customers early next year.
The first geography of interest will be Europe, where the regulatory environment permits operations across the European Union.
Hellmann considers DRONAMICS a forerunner among long-range drone developers, with DRONAMICS aiming to be the first company to obtain operational authorization for international unmanned flights across Europe.
Exclusive Video: How Hellmann Taskforce Fought Against the Pandemic
Jan Kleine-Lasthues, Chief Operating Officer Airfreight of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics said: “Partnering with DRONAMICS allows us to provide our customers with innovative and tailored solutions especially in the growing market segments of spare parts, e-commerce, and cool chain.
"DRONAMICS enables a same-day middle-mile drone delivery service with an unmatched range of up to 2,500km and an impressive cargo capacity of 350kg. We believe this will be a game changer in logistics.”
Svilen Rangelov, CEO and Co-Founder of DRONAMICS said: “We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to work with a leading logistics provider such as Hellmann, a company with a global network and a strategy to shape the supply chain of the future.
"Collaborating with freight forwarders is an essential part of our vision to make same-day deliveries a reality.”
As part of the agreement, DRONAMICS will provide equipment and expertise to operate the unmanned drone flights, employing local staff in different technical roles. The first commercial flights of the same-day drone cargo services are expected to begin in 2022.
Read More: Hellmann Implements CargoWise to Further Digitize Operations