Start-up drone company Flirtey has made its first commercial flight with a delivery in Auckland, New Zealand, for Fastway Couriers.
The Australian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) company flew a small shipment of automotive parts between two districts of New Zealand’s largest city, the New Zealand Herald reported. The drone took five minutes for the 1.9km journey compared to about 20 minutes for a road-based courier delivery.
Flirtey chief executive Matt Sweeny said: “This is a significant moment because it is the first commercial drone delivery over a populated area in New Zealand.” The Flirtey drone can fly packages of up to 2.5kgs with a range of 15km, according to the newspaper.
Earlier this year, Matt Sweeny presented his business model at the European Post and Parcel Services conference in Vienna, claiming that unmanned drones can operate more cheaply and more flexibly than couriers. He said at the time that the first commercial delivery in New Zealand would be made soon.
