Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Airbus Begins Shore-to-ship Port Drone Deliveries
The Airbus Skyways UAS has begun ship supply flights to commercial vessels in Singapore.
Airbus and Wilhelmsen Ships Services signed an agreement in June 2018 to develop an end-to-end unmanned aircraft system for safe shore-to-ship deliveries in Singapore. (Photo: C. Wilhelmsen)
Airbus and Wilhelmsen Ships Services signed an agreement in June 2018 to develop an end-to-end unmanned aircraft system for safe shore-to-ship deliveries in Singapore. (Photo: C. Wilhelmsen)

Airbus has launched shore-to-ship trials with its Skyways parcel delivery drone in Singapore, the first time drones have been flown in real port conditions to deliver time-critical maritime supplies to working vessels at anchorage. The first delivery was made 0.8 nm from the shoreline of Singapore’s Marina South Pier to the Swire Pacific Offshore’s anchor handling tug supply vessel M/V Pacific Centurion with a payload of 3.3 pounds of 3D-printed consumables. The roundtrip flight took less than 10 minutes.