Alphabet-owned Wing company has announced that it will soon expand its drone delivery service in Lusk, Ireland, a small town 10 miles north of Dublin. According to Engadget, the pilot program in the area is slated to begin in the coming weeks.
Alphabet-owned Company is Eager to Bring Drone Service to More European Communities
The company currently offers drone deliveries in Christiansburg, Virginia; Helsinki, Finland; and Logan and Canberra, Australia. With the upcoming pilot program in the area, Lusk will be the fifth city where if offers its services.
According to the Alphabet-owned company, Ireland was chosen as its next area of operation because "the country has embraced drone technology." Moreover, it appears that the country is a "great incubator for future innovations."
To support its operation in Ireland, the company is using its existing partnerships and approvals granted in Finland in addition to the recognition from the IAA (Irish Aviation Authority), according to Digital Trends.
According to Wing's head of Policy, Regulatory and Community Affairs Margaret Nagle, the company is eager to launch a second pilot program in the European Union.
Nagle said EU has recently made notable development in crafting regulations for uncrewed aviation. This could provide an excellent framework for safe and scalable drone delivery.
"Wing is encouraged by what's taking shape, and now we're excited to explore the ways we can leverage these new regulations to bring this service to more European communities," Nagle said.
Furthermore, the company said that the goal of its program is to expand its European operations into Ireland.
Moreover, it wants to gain experience operating in the area in order to know the types of drone delivery services that would bring the local community the most value.
Read Also: Alphabet-Owned Wing Food Delivery Drone Crashes into Power Lines
Wing Conducts Community Meeting with Residents of Lusk, Ireland
According to Nagle, it's likely that Wing will be fostering partnership with a number of local businesses. From these local businesses, select online shoppers will be able to order snacks and drinks, small household items, and medications.
Once the shopper has placed an order, a drone will fly to the delivery address carrying the order. Once the location is reached, the drone would lower the goods on a tether. Once this is done, it would return to the base.
Some residents in other areas where Wing is operating complained about the buzzing noise of drones in their neighborhood. To deal with this problem, the company made a less noisy drone model.
However, just last month, one of the company's drones hit some power lines in Brisbane, Australia. This caused temporary power outage in nearby areas.
As the company aims to have a smooth launch in Lusk, Ireland, it is conducting preliminary talks with local leaders regarding its proposed pilot program in the area.
Moreover, the company is also conducting a conversation with residents of the town this week. In the community meeting with the residents, questions can be asked about Wing's plans. Moreover, residents can check the drones up close before they fly into the skies.
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