DRONAMICS and Hellmann plan pan-European transports with cargo drones
DRONAMICS, the leading middle-mile cargo drone developer and operator and the global full-service provider Hellmann Worldwide Logistics 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.
“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,” says Jan Kleine-Lasthues, Chief Operating Officer Airfreight of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.
“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” – says Svilen Rangelov, CEO and Co-Founder of DRONAMICS.
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.
About DRONAMICS: Based in London (UK) and Sofia (Bulgaria), DRONAMICS is the world’s leading developer and operator of large cargo drones. Its flagship Black Swan unmanned aircraft is able of carrying 350 kg of cargo over a distance of up to 2,500 km at up to 80% lower cost than any aircraft in existence, enabling same-day shipping over very long distances for e-commerce, pharma, and time-critical shipments.
Founded in 2014 by the Rangelov brothers, an economist and an aerospace engineer, the company’s fast-growing team includes some of the world’s top aerospace and logistics experts and is the winner of numerous awards for innovation, including IATA’s Drone Innovation Award.
About Hellman Worldwide Logistics: Since its foundation 150 years ago, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has developed into one of the largest international logistics providers in the world. In 2020, the Hellmann Group achieved sales of around EUR 2.5 billion with 10,601 employees. The range of services includes classic forwarding services by truck, rail, air and sea freight, as well as a comprehensive range of CEP services, contract logistics, industry and IT solutions.
