Royal Mail Teams up With Windracers Group, Wants a Fleet of 500 Drones to Ship Parcels Across UK

The postal service wants 50 new drone routes to serve customers in remote communities.

Royal Mail’s initial plan is to deploy a fleet of 200 drones over the next three years, before pursuing a longer-term aim of sending more than 500 to cover all corners of the country. (Bloomberg)

Royal Mail Plc has teamed up with Windracers Group to create more than 50 new postal drone routes over the next three years.

The partnership will aim to provide faster services for customers in remote communities across the UK, from Scilly to the Shetland Islands. Royal Mail's initial plan is to deploy a fleet of 200 drones over the next three years, before pursuing a longer-term aim of sending more than 500 to cover all corners of the country.

The postal service has been testing the use of drones for the last 18 months, with the most recent trial held in April. The drones have the capability to fly in difficult weather conditions and can carry up to 100 kilograms of mail.

The plans put the UK “firmly at the forefront of this exciting sector,” Windracers Chairman Stephen Wright said in a statement. “The middle mile of supply and logistics, especially to remote locations, has long been overlooked by the industry and is ripe for innovation.''

The first routes identified for the new service includes the Orkney Islands and the Hebrides. Approval will be required from the Civil Aviation Authority.