Drones flown into Jersey Airport alongside aircraft

Drones have successfully landed at Jersey Airport in the latest trial that could see medical supplies flown to the island.

The UK government-funded Agile Integrated Airspace System (ALIAS) has been testing the drones alongside crewed aircraft for the first time.

The tests are part of a £3.7m project that could lead the way for autonomous flights, which concluded this week.

The project sees drone flight trials demonstrate the opportunities to use drone aircraft to help transport medical supplies, commercial cargo, and perhaps passengers at some point in the future.

Project lead Anthony Lawrenson said flying the drones in and out of the airport had been "quite straight forward" showing that they can set up a "logistical supply chain" for around the island, and maybe even over to mainland France or the UK.

Mr Lawrenson said they were looking to adapt into the "existing aerospace system" to "improve connectivity".

The drones have been flown alongside a crewed Draken aircraft, which has been operated by air traffic control. The drones have been flying between Sorel and the airport to see how multiple airborne crafts interact in the same airspace.

A successful drone take-off and landing at Jersey airport was scheduled out of normal operating hours.

Mr Lawrenson said: "It was a challenge to bring the trial here but I think that challenge has paid off."

Jersey was selected for the project because it was able to restrict airspace and use air traffic control to facilitate the trials.

John Nicholas, director of Civil Aviation, has been overseeing the trial and said there had been no cause for concern from a safety perspective.

He added restricting airspace for the trials had "no impact on islanders" and the drones were flown at a "much lower height" than commercial aircraft.

He said they were "very supportive of these kinds of trials" and "we will do whatever we can to assist the development of aviation in the Channel Islands".

The two-year trial has now concluded but Deputy Kirsten Morel, the economic development minister, said he would like to see them brought into wider use very soon.

"The idea that you could have air deliveries at very low cost does open things up for Jersey," he said.

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