Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Dronamics (The first European cargo drone airline)
Reporting period: 2022-06-01 to 2025-07-31
Dronamics set out to revolutionize the way goods are transported by air. Today, moving cargo between cities or across borders is often expensive, slow, and carbon-intensive. The Dronamics project, funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, aims to change this by introducing the world’s first large, long-range, unmanned cargo aircraft — the Black Swan — and the supporting network of droneports that make it possible.
The project addresses a growing need for faster, cleaner, and more cost-efficient logistics solutions, especially for regions with limited transport infrastructure. By using autonomous aircraft capable of carrying up to 350 kg of cargo over distances of up to 2,500 km, Dronamics’ technology offers a new “middle-mile” transport option between traditional air freight and ground delivery.
The project addresses a growing need for faster, cleaner, and more cost-efficient logistics solutions, especially for regions with limited transport infrastructure. By using autonomous aircraft capable of carrying up to 350 kg of cargo over distances of up to 2,500 km, Dronamics’ technology offers a new “middle-mile” transport option between traditional air freight and ground delivery.
During the implementation period, Dronamics successfully completed the feasibility, design, and full-scale demonstration phases of its large cargo UAV system. The project achieved the following milestones:
- Demonstrate the technical feasibility and safety of large cargo drones in real-world operations;
- Develop and deploy the droneport infrastructure needed to support UAV-based cargo logistics;
- Achieve regulatory authorisations for and long-range UAV operations in Europe;
- Validate the economic and environmental benefits of the model compared with traditional air transport; and
- Position Europe as a global leader in advanced air mobility and sustainable logistics innovation.
Through the successful implementation of this project, Dronamics has taken major steps towards establishing a new category of air transport — one that connects communities faster, reduces costs and emissions, and supports Europe’s transition toward cleaner and smarter mobility.
- Demonstrate the technical feasibility and safety of large cargo drones in real-world operations;
- Develop and deploy the droneport infrastructure needed to support UAV-based cargo logistics;
- Achieve regulatory authorisations for and long-range UAV operations in Europe;
- Validate the economic and environmental benefits of the model compared with traditional air transport; and
- Position Europe as a global leader in advanced air mobility and sustainable logistics innovation.
Through the successful implementation of this project, Dronamics has taken major steps towards establishing a new category of air transport — one that connects communities faster, reduces costs and emissions, and supports Europe’s transition toward cleaner and smarter mobility.
The project advanced the state of the art in unmanned aviation by demonstrating a scalable cargo UAV system capable of operating from standard airfields using existing infrastructure. Key innovations include the integration of large UAV operations into civil aviation frameworks, a validated droneport model for middle-mile logistics, and operational methodologies for unmanned cargo delivery. The project positioned Dronamics and the EU at the forefront of large UAV technology, catalysed private investment, and laid the groundwork for an emerging European unmanned logistics industry.