Antwerp Port, Amazon Test Drones

The SAFIR consortium of partners – Amazon Prime Air, Aveillant, C-Astral, DronePort, Elia, Explicit, Helicus, Port of Antwerp, Proximus, SABCA, Skeyes, Tekever and Unifly – tested the first simultaneous drone flights today in Sint-Truiden DronePort, for among other things package deliveries, inspection flights and emergency situations.

 European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc also followed the demonstrations from the front row. SAFIR stands for "Safe and Flexible Integration of Initial U-space Services in a Real Environment," a project funded by the EU.

After the first trial round in Sint-Truiden, the press is invited to watch the results of the second live demonstrations in Antwerp on Thursday 26 September together with drone specialists.

The demonstrations will provide practical insights for the SESAR public-private partnership, which is the entity responsible for coordinating all EU air traffic management research and development activities. The demonstrations thus contribute to the European Commission's regulatory process for safe, standardized and more harmonious access to airspace for drones.

"Drones are a key element in the development of a digital nervous system through the port of Antwerp. A live feed of the various port activities thanks to a network of autonomous drones is a useful tool for the entire port community. The combination of industry and logistics makes the port environment an excellent testing ground for the SAFIR project and other planned drone demonstrations," says Erwin Verstraelen - Chief Digital Information & Innovation Officer at Port of Antwerp.