HHLA Sky GmBH – A new phase of drone deliveries unlocked in Germany

Press

On the 21st of February 2024, the first-ever BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) automated drone took off from Lüdenscheid, Germany, with SAIL III approval for regular operation from the Federal Aviation Office.

We are proud that the HHLA Sky Integrated Control Center played a pivotal role in enabling Germany’s first drone delivery airline to operate.

This marks a significant advancement in the use of automated drones for delivery, granting the ability to bypass conventional traffic hurdles and deliver crucial small parts for industrial machines directly to companies.

Marius Schroeder from Third Element Aviation, Matthias Gronstedt from HHLA Sky and Norman Koerschulte from Koerschulte celebrating the launch oft Germany's first drone delivery airline that got an SAIL III permission for regular flight operation in front of the cargo drone that did the first official take-off. — Celebrating the launch of Germany’s first drone delivery airline that got an SAIL III permission for regular flight operation: Marius Schroeder from Third Element Aviation, Matthias Gronstedt from HHLA Sky and Norman Koerschulte

Unlocking automated drone delivery with industry collaboration

This milestone was achieved thanks to the collaboration between the drones as a service operator Koerschulte, the drone manufacturer Third Element Aviation, and the mobile robot management developer HHLA Sky.

Together, they have launched the commercial scheduled flight operation of a cargo drone, designed to offer fast and automated logistics solutions from the air: the Auriol.

HHLA Sky also offers such a cargo drone for BVLOS automated operations: the X25.

Take-off: first regular flight of a Koerschulte cargo drone — Take-off: first regular flight of Germany’s first drone delivery airline Koerschulte

The Auriol: Germany’s first commercially scheduled cargo drone

The Auriol is used for the immediate delivery of essential parts needed by companies.

The cargo drone boasts a load capacity of up to 6.5 kilograms, a maximum flight time of 45 minutes, a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour, and is also equipped with a safety parachute.

At Koerschulte, its operation is powered by green electricity, and promises efficiency in terms of cost and time savings.

A unique aspect of this project is the operational model of the drones. Instead of the traditional one-pilot-per-drone setup, the drones are monitored by remote operators from the Koerschulte service provider, who only intervene in case of deviations thanks to the Integrated Control Center developed by HHLA Sky.

The remote pilot in command is monitoring a drone flight via the HHLA Sky Integrated Control Center at the Koerschulte drone delivery airline, Photo credit: Cornelius Popovici

How HHLA Sky’s ICC enables drone logistics scalable

The HHLA Sky Integrated Control Center (ICC) plays a crucial role in this development, offering a sophisticated solution for managing and monitoring drone operations efficiently by automation.

The previous 1:1 relationship, in which a pilot controls a drone at sight, is replaced by a 1:n relationship:

The ICC enables one remote pilot to manage and control up to 12 drones at a time. In total, the ICC can control more than 100 operating drones simultaneously.

This makes the ICC a pivotal solution to allow the drone delivery service to scale whilst upholding operational efficiency across the board, proving to be the key enabler for BVLOS automated delivery operations.

Why Lüdenscheid offers a strategic advantage as the launch site

The choice of Lüdenscheid as the launch site was no coincidence:

Given its economic significance within South Westphalia and the current traffic jam challenges posed by a bridge demolition on the A45 highway, Lüdenscheid offers the perfect location to implement this new phase of last mile delivery.

This is just the beginning of automated drone delivery in Europe

The launch of drone deliveries in Lüdenscheid is the first successfully approved by the German Federal Aviation Office, but the project partners are eager to expand, planning to build more transport drones and extend flight routes across Germany and Europe.

This is a milestone for the industry. It showcases the potential of drone technology in transforming last mile logistics.

We are honored that HHLA Sky’s ICC is being the trusted solution to offer BVLOS automated drone delivery, ensuring the scalability, safety and security for the drone logistics operator in command.