AP Drone Corp and Airbound partner for 10,000-flight daily drone network

The Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation (APDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru-based aerospace start-up Airbound to launch a massive commercial drone delivery network across the Amaravati Capital Region. Inked in New Delhi in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, the agreement establishes the Amaravati Capital Region Drone Delivery Network (ACR DDN) to connect Amaravati, Vijayawada and Guntur. The initiative will begin pilot operations in Guntur, with a target of scaling up to 10,000 daily drone flights over the next year. The aerial grid will transport healthcare supplies, e-commerce packages and commercial goods using Airbound’s proprietary, 1.5 kg carbon fibre blended-wing-body tailsitter aircraft. Boasting an efficient 1.5:1 payload-to-weight ratio, the technology aims to reduce delivery costs by up to 20 times compared to traditional methods, bringing transit expenses down to 10 paise per kilometre, as per a report.