Aramex has brought the possibility of drones delivering packages to your door a step closer after completing test flights in Oman.
The Middle East’s largest courier company partnered with US-based UVL Robotics to conduct the test flights.
See the video below to watch the test flights, which were designed to deliver parcels safely and efficiently across various terrains, distances, and weather conditions in Muscat.
Drone delivery tests in Oman
Aramex has dubbed drone delivery as a gamechanger for logistics companies, highlighting cost, time and environmental benefits over deliver by roads.
Alaa Saoudi, Chief Operating Officer – Express, at Aramex, said: “Rolling out the Future Delivery Program demonstrates Aramex’s market leadership in last-mile solutions in the region. We believe the next generation of last-mile solutions, including drones and autonomous vehicles, will be a game-changer as it ensures efficient delivery while being eco-friendly.
“Through the successful drone delivery testing with UVL Robotics, we have proven that these automated modes of delivery will enable us to further enhance the speed, accessibility, and reliability of package deliveries, especially to remote areas with hard-to-reach terrain. In addition, the program will support our sustainability ambitions to significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions and reach carbon neutrality by 2030.”
Logistics firms invest in drones
Logistics and delivery companies saw a rise in usage during the global pandemic as retail consumers stayed away from traditional shopping methods.
Industry analysis by Markets and Markets forecasts the drone package delivery market could reach $5.6bn by 2030, with Google and Amazon also investing heavily in the sector.
Aramex has identified drone delivery as a key step in its innovation strategy and will scale up the testing to include other countries in the region, although it has not yet given a timeline for this.
Angad Singh, Global Director – Innovation of Aramex, said: “The success of the pilot drone delivery is a remarkable milestone of our Future Delivery Program which is a key program in our innovation and sustainability roadmap. The autonomous drone technology provided by UVL Robotics could potentially cut transit times by half in complex routes, which means we can now add more value for our customers and consignees as we can accelerate the delivery of packages across different sectors including e-commerce, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals amongst others. We look forward to scaling up this product for our customers and deploying it across all markets where we operate.”
Logistics innovation
The drone testing is part of Aramex’s “Future Delivery Program” aimed at leveraging the next generation of last-mile delivery solutions including drones and autonomous vehicles to boost delivery efficiencies, improve customer satisfaction, and generate cost savings in last-mile delivery.
Moosa Al Balushi, Regional Director for UVL in the MENA Region, said: “We strongly believe that last mile delivery by drone is the important part of future logistics and one of key goals in business‘ sustainability strategy. Drones produce 26 time less CO2 emissions than cars, which has a positive impact on the region’s ecology. Moreover, use of drones can significantly reduce operating costs and almost triple the time it takes to deliver a package to hard-to-reach locations. We are looking forward to scaling up our collaboration with Aramex as a recognized industry leader – increasing the number of routes and the share of drone delivery in the total number of shipments.”
Since 2017, Aramex has been testing and adopting electric vehicles as a greener alternative to its fleet. Currently, its Jordan operations have deployed electric vehicles with continuous electric vehicle testing across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. Aramex plans to deploy an electric fleet across its core markets as a part of its wider sustainability mandate.
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