The Royal Mail is extending its use of drones to create 50 new “postal drone routes” that will deliver to some the country’s most remote islands.
Windracers, a logistics drone company, said the routes provide faster and more convenient services for remote communities.
The first routes for the new service include the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall, and the Scottish Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands and Hebrides.
“Supply and logistics, especially to remote locations, has long been overlooked by the industry and is ripe for innovation,” said company chairman Stephen Wright.
“We've spent the last five years focused on developing the most commercially viable essential logistics drones so we're truly delighted to be working with Royal Mail on this ambitious and pioneering deployment of autonomous aircraft.”
The drones will also help reduce Royal Mail's carbon emissions and improve the reliability of island mail services.
Royal Mail now uses ferries, conventional aircraft and land-based delivery, which can be affected by bad weather.
“On-time delivery regardless of our customers' location or the weather, while protecting our environment, is our goal," said Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail.
“Even though we go everywhere, Royal Mail already has the lowest carbon-dioxide emissions per parcel delivered. This initiative will help reduce our emissions even further.”
Royal Mail said it was aiming to use up to 200 drones over the next three years, increasing to more than 500, servicing all corners of the UK.
It has conducted four drone trials over the past 18 months, including flights on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, the Isles of Scilly, and between Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay on the Orkney Islands.
Test flights for the new service have been held between Tingwall Airport in Lerwick and Unst — an 80 kilometre flight each way.
Drones used in the trial can carry up to 100 kilograms of mail for two daily return flights between the islands, with letters and parcels then delivered by the local postal workers.
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
On racial profiling at airports
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
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Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
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