Britain's Royal Mail will trial the use of drones to deliver health and safety equipment, COVID testing kits and other items to the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago off the Cornish coast in southwest England.
The company says it will be first time an out-of-sight, autonomous scheduled drone flight has been used between the United Kingdom mainland and an island.
Part of the trial will also include inter-island parcel deliveries across the Scillies.
The government-funded project will initially focus on delivering personal protective equipment and testing kits to the islands' most vulnerable and remote communities.
Parcels will be flown to the islands' airport in St Mary's by drone which can carry up to 100kg of mail at a time - equivalent to a typical delivery round.
A smaller drone will then be used to transport items to a number of delivery points throughout the islands.
The autonomous flight route involves being about 110 km out of sight before it reaches its destination.
Royal Mail said if the trial is successful, the technology will be considered to support postmen and postwomen in delivering to remote areas across the UK.
The trial will also examine what fuel efficiencies the drones could provide, as part of the company's drive to reduce emissions associated with its operations.
"There are some really remote areas on these islands, and this is a terrific way to help us reach them," said Isles of Scilly postwoman Amy Richards.
"It's really important for us to do all we can to help all areas of the country stay connected, especially in these difficult times."
Royal Mail chief commercial officer Nick Landon said: "This is part of our constant drive to incorporate the best and most innovative technologies into our network."
"We've seen a huge increase in parcel volumes since the start of the pandemic, and this is just one of the ways we are looking to support our postmen and postwomen in delivering fast and convenient services for all of our customers while reducing our carbon emissions."
Australian Associated Press
