December 2, 2020 - Bulgarian cargo drone developer and operator, Dronamics, unveiled the world’s first cargo droneport network in Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Italy, and Sweden

Net.hr reports that Dronamics is an international company based in London and Sofia that runs the logistics and transport of cargo by drones. On Monday, they presented partnerships with the first five airports, one of which is Osijek. The other airports included are Belgian Liège, Italian Brescia, Swedish Skövde and Finnish Seinäjoki. When the network of their bases is completed, it will include 35 airports in 11 European countries and connect 300 million people with low-cost freight service.

"The talks began in secret in March this year. We wanted a niche where we would be the first and where we would take advantage of new technologies that open up great opportunities. This is an opportunity for Osijek in which we see the future of our airport in the environment of the big ones," said the director of Osijek Airport, Davor Forgić.

Dronamics will base its equipment for unmanned aerial vehicles in Osijek and provide cargo transport services in domestic and international air traffic. Their Black Swan drone can carry 350 kilograms of cargo over a distance of up to 2,500 kilometers at 80 percent less cost than conventional cargo aircraft. Operations are performed autonomously, monitored, and controlled via satellite, and the entire system costs less than the price of, say, one sports car. The good news is that it will train the local population to work and manage flights.

The entire project was supposed to come to life at the beginning of next year, but the coronavirus epidemic postponed certification at the European Aviation Safety Agency, so the first drones from Osijek will take off only at the beginning of 2022. However, transport prices are already known. Thus, flights lasting up to four hours will cost 2.89 euros per kilogram of cargo. These flights can include destinations such as Berlin, Basel, Milan, Catania, Athens, Bucharest or Warsaw. Slightly more expensive will be eight-hour flights, which include cities such as Barcelona, Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm or London. They will cost 3.79 euros per kilogram of cargo.

Dronamics flights from Osijek will cover almost all European destinations at prices of 2.89 and 3.79 euros per kilogram, depending on the duration of the flight.

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