Windracers announced that it has agreed to partner with Aviation Sans Frontières to operate Windracers ULTRA
– A low-cost, self-flying cargo aircraft designed and manufactured in the UK – to deliver supplies to humanitarian organizations in Africa, starting in early 2025.
The Windracers ULTRA MK2 will fly autonomously beyond visual line of location (BVLOS) to:
- Deliver medical and other humanitarian supplies and collect urgent samples from places where there are few or no paved roads
- Drop supplies safely using protective packaging and parachutes to remote locations as required
“For more than forty years, Aviation Without Borders has been creating and proven ‘light aircraft’ missions where humanitarian pilots and mechanics are mobilized to serve the poorest people around the world,” said Christian Geurellet, President of Aviation Without Borders International. “We impact people’s lives where others do not or no longer go to fulfill our mission of providing service dedicated to human impact.”
“Aviation Sans Frontieres was an early adopter of drones as a cost-effective and impactful means of delivering services to humanitarian actors, and today drones are at the heart of Aviation Sans Frontieres’ future strategy. Working with Windracers, Aviation Sans promises Frontières envisions the future of humanitarian and development aviation by using ULTRA Windracers that carry large payloads per flight at a lower cost while taking human pilots out of harm’s way.
“Logistics is the backbone of humanitarian aid, often accounting for 60-80% of expenditure depending on the sector of activity,” said Stephen Wright, founder and CEO of Windracers Group. “We developed ULTRA with this idea in mind, to provide a low-cost means of delivering humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach locations for people in desperate need of assistance. This agreement with Aviation Sans Frontières completes the circle of ‘laboratory of life’ for Windracers ULTRA I am very proud that the Windracers will have the opportunity to accomplish this mission in partnership with Aviation Sans Frontières.
Windracers ULTRA is the world’s most accomplished long-distance heavy cargo transport drone available today. With a payload of over 100 kg and a range of up to 1,000 km, ULTRA has flown countless BVLOS missions. Windracers ULTRA have flown reconnaissance and resupply in Ukraine, geological and wildlife surveys in Antarctica, delivered parcels off the Scottish and English coasts, bushfire missions, and dropped medical supplies by parachute. Available as a service or purchase, Windracers ULTRA have flown in Antarctica, North America, the UK, Europe and will soon be operating in Africa.
The post Humanitarian Aid Delivered by Drones appeared first on Air Cargo Week.
