Technology

Drone delivery firm to bring life-saving medicine to world’s remotest areas

Zipline operates a blood delivery service in Rwanda with plans to expand in to Tanzania

The new plane is capable of flying four times faster than the average quadcopter drone.

Wed Apr 4 2018 - 13:26

Drone delivery company Zipline is to bring medical supplies to remote regions with a new aircraft that can make up to 500 deliveries a day.

The aircraft, which has a top speed of 128 km/h and a cruising speed of 101 km/h, is to be used to deliver essentials such as food and medical supplies to communities in need.

Zipline already operates a drone-based blood delivery service in Rwanda and recently announced plans to expand the service to Tanzania. It said the company will also participate in a new trial organised by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) aimed at accelerating the deployment of safe drone innovations in the country.

The new plane is capable of flying four times faster than the average quadcopter drone and can serve and area 200 times as large.

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"The new aircraft and distribution centre system we're unveiling today will help Zipline scale to meet the needs of countries around the world - including the United States, " said chief executive Keller Rinaudo.

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