Drones delivering medical supplies in Scotland hailed as ‘technological revolution’

A project using drones to deliver medical supplies around Scotland has been called a “technological revolution” by the minister for aviation and maritime Mike Kane.

Project CAELUS is led by AGS Airports, which runs Aberdeen International Airport, and is backed by around £7 million in UK government funding to accelerate the development of drones across several industries.

Laboratory samples have been flown from Edinburgh to Melrose by drones under the project.
The journey takes around five hours by road transport but could now take as little as 35 minutes by drone.

Kane, who is visiting Aberdeen airport to celebrate its 90th anniversary, is expected to see a series of measures in place to support regional connectivity across the UK and underline the Department for Transport’s collaboration with industry on new technologies to reduce dependency on unsustainable fuels.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive of AGS Airports, welcomed the minister’s support and said that regions with strong connectivity tend to have increased levels of trade and tourism.

“We also recognise the airport has a much wider role to play beyond supporting economic growth; it can mobilise and drive change for the better,” he added. “Fostering innovation is one of the ways we can achieve this and through Project CAELUS we have a real opportunity to revolutionise the way in which healthcare services are delivered across Scotland.”