Cargo Drone in The Pipeline
Bulgarian startup Dronamics recently completed successful test flights of its full-size cargo drone prototype and aims to commence commercial operations later this year, revolutionizing the transportation industry.
Co-founded by brothers Konstantin and Svilen Rangelov, Dronamics aspires to transform global goods transportation by reimagining traditional methods. Their ambitious vision took a significant step forward with the test flight of their first full-size cargo drone prototype, named “Black Swan.”
The test flight occurred at Balchik airport in Bulgaria, with the drone remotely operated by two skilled commercial airline pilots stationed at Dronamics’ ground control station. Konstantin Rangelov expressed their excitement, stating, “We just had our first successful flight, but we need to continue that test program, and at the end of the year, we would be ready to launch our first commercial flights… first in Greece, across the islands, and then we will move throughout the Mediterranean to Italy, Malta, and beyond.”
Presently, the drone can transport up to 350 kg over distances of up to 2,500 km. Dronamics aims to design the engine to run on biofuel, with future plans to utilize hydrogen or synthetic fuel solutions to achieve carbon-neutral flights.
Dronamics holds the distinction of being Europe’s inaugural licensed cargo drone airline and the first Strategic Partner for drones on a global scale with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). While the company aims to initiate commercial flights by the end of 2023, experts caution that significant hurdles remain.
Stefan Hristozov, an aeronautical engineer at the Institute of Robotics at the Bulgarian Academy of Science, pointed out, “They still have a long journey ahead, including certification, aircraft maintenance, fleet building, production, and more.”
Dronamics has secured $40 million (€37 million) in funding from investors across 12 countries. Additionally, the European Union has provided financial support through the European Innovation Council.
