Skylift UAV reports it has delivered one of the UK’s most ambitious civil drone trials to date, by conducting coordinated Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations across one of the country’s busiest and most complex airspaces. According to the company, the evidence gathered through these trials will directly support the CAA’s programme to transition BVLOS drone operations from segregated to non-segregated airspace. “The project will help inform future drone corridors, regulatory frameworks, and public confidence in uncrewed aviation across the UK,” said Skylift UAV in a press release.
“As the lead drone operator within the Solent Future Transport Zone’s Drones for Medical Logistics (DfML) project, Skylift flew multiple uncrewed aircraft simultaneously across the Solent — the UK’s busiest waterway — under a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)-approved Airspace Change Proposal (ACP),” said the press release. “The operations were conducted in full coordination with the Coastguard, Police, and Air Ambulance, demonstrating how drones can be safely integrated into real-world, safety-critical environments.
Operating from Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth under a Temporary Danger Area (TDA), Skylift’s BVLOS flights took place throughout June and July 2025, setting a new benchmark for scale, complexity, and regulatory maturity in UK uncrewed aviation.
Tim Forrester, Programme Manager of the Solent Future Transport Zone, said:
“The Solent FTZ was created to take future transport concepts beyond theory and into practice, in real operating environments. These trials have shown what’s possible when regulators, universities and the public sector and private sector work together. Solent Transport will continue to share learnings from this project and others in the Future Transport Zone into 2026, supporting policy development at the Department for Transport.”
The project is focused on enabling reliable drone delivery of critical medical supplies to the Isle of Wight. Skylift’s role was central to proving that complex BVLOS logistics missions can be executed legally, safely, and repeatedly in highly congested airspace.
“In parallel with the operational trials, Skylift worked closely with the University of Southampton and Hecto Drone, a Danish company to conduct advanced medical logistics research using the HD-606 hybrid multirotor. The aircraft — capable of carrying payloads of up to 25kg for up to three hours — was used to develop a detailed vibration profile, helping to assess the suitability of drones for transporting life-saving medicines with limited shelf lives.”
For more information
https://www.skyliftuav.co.uk/