India’s SpiceJet cleared to conduct drone trials

SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int’l) has been given official clearance to begin trials using drones to deliver medical supplies and other cargo, especially to remote areas. The budget carrier on May 29 announced it had received formal approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct the drone trials. Once trials and approvals have been obtained, SpiceXpress, the dedicated cargo arm of SpiceJet, plans to use drones to provide for quicker, faster and cost-effective delivery of medical, pharma and essential supplies and e-commerce products. SpiceJet did not specify when trials will begin. A SpiceXpress-led consortium submitted a proposal to the regulator for conducting experimental Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations of remotely piloted aircraft in response to a DGCA notice inviting expressions of interest. The consortium includes Throttle Aerospace, a drone manufacturing company, AeoLogic, an analytics and software solution firm, and Involia, which is a provider of air traffic awareness and collision avoidance services.