The U-ELCOME project has carried out another successful test flight, with a drone simulating the transport of medical supplies from Milan Malpensa’s Cargo City to Varese’s Hospital del Circolo and back.
The July 3 flight was achieved through the collaboration of SEA Milan Airports, City of Varese, and ASST Sette Laghi.
The aim is to decrease transport time while providing a sustainable alternative to road transport. Coordinated by EUROCONTROL within the SESAR Joint Undertaking, the project uses long-range electric drones designed for urban operations.
SEA Milan Airports leads U-ELCOME’s Milan Sandbox, which provides a safe testing environment for the project. SEA collaborates with several Italian partners, including ENAV, D-Flight, EuroUSC Italia S.r.l., Telespazio, Techno Sky, and Dronus in the planning and development of flight campaigns, as well as with ENAC on regulatory and authorisation matters.
The Milan sandbox began cargo drone test flights in July 2024 and in November, the U-ELCOME team hosted live demonstrations at the Milan hub, which project members said “marked a crucial step in further advancing and integrating drone technologies into critical operations, such as medical supply chains”.
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