DHL “paketkopter” to make first commercial drone delivery

DHL has beat major competitors, using drones to deliver urgently needed goods and medicine to a German island, in a pioneering pilot project soon to take flight.

The German delivery firm takes off the use of drones ahead of the market, beating the likes of Amazon and Google.

DHL will embark on a month-long pilot project to test the drone, taking orders from Juist island on the north-west coast of Germany.

Islanders are being encouraged to place orders with the local Seehunder pharmacy – with DHL’s drone flights taking off 12km away fromm the harbour town of Norddeich.

The ‘paketkopter’ or ‘pacelcopter’ will maintain contact with air traffic control throughout its flight, flying under 50m to avoid entering regulated airspace.

DHL said the drone will be “constantly monitored” by a ground station, which will take over manually if anything should happen.

So far, drone activity in the US and UK is illegal and strictly banned, although the US Federal Aviation Administration plans to revisit its rules next year.

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