Germany’s CONDOR Group has acquired Hamburg-based drone technology company HHLA Sky through its subsidiary CONDOR International and Maritime Services (CONDOR IMS). The business will continue operating under the name CONDOR Sky.
Announced on 12 November, the acquisition expands CONDOR’s capabilities in automated drone operations, including digital flight management, drone manufacturing and commercial applications. HHLA Sky’s employees and its production site in Bielefeld will become part of the group.
At the centre of CONDOR Sky’s offering is the Integrated Control Center (ICC), a digital platform for the centralised planning, control and monitoring of drones from different manufacturers. The platform has been in regular commercial operation since 2024 and is used in North Rhine-Westphalia to coordinate daily flights transporting laboratory samples and blood products between hospitals and laboratories.
According to CONDOR, the ICC enables a single pilot to organise and monitor multiple automated flights while accounting for interactions with crewed aviation. The platform has also been certified by TÜV NORD against the IEC 62443 cybersecurity standard.
The Bielefeld site develops, manufactures and maintains the X11, X25 and V25 drone models. CONDOR Sky will provide the platform, aircraft and operational concepts, while specialised operators will conduct flight operations.
Beyond logistics, the company plans to expand into critical infrastructure inspections and security applications, including surveillance, situational awareness and alarm verification. Ground robots are already integrated into the ICC, with unmanned maritime systems expected to follow in 2027.
CONDOR said the acquisition would strengthen its position in routine commercial drone operations and support the development of connected unmanned systems across air, land and maritime environments.
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Image: CONDOR