In Jan 2022, we published one of aviation’s most comprehensive legal reports Global air freight’s future – The sky is the limit. Today, the key topics still stand and looking ahead in 2023, we continue to monitor emerging trends in aviation.

We are taking an even broader look at the aviation industry and consider additional types of emerging aviation, like drones and flying taxis.

Today’s topic is drone delivery.

The most ubiquitous type of emerging aviation activity is taking place with uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, which can be used for delivery (packages; medical supplies) and for jobs that currently use humans to accomplish tasks. Drone operations are already occurring in many nations. Wing, a US drone delivery company, is providing delivery of medicine, food and household essentials to homes in a number of US locations. In 2021, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) launched its first drone delivery system pilot Scotland, to deliver COVID-19 tests, personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicines to remote communities in the UK. Drone delivery is especially useful for “last mile” transit—that is, delivering goods from a warehouse or distribution center directly to a consumer’s home.

Stay tuned to Reed Smith’s news and developments on this exciting frontier of aviation and look out in the forthcoming weeks for our thoughts on advanced air mobility and the aviation ecosystem.

Authors: Oliver Beiersdorf, Richard Hakes, Catriona Henderson, Julia Norsetter, Simon Spells and Hui Ling Teo