JAL-KDDI Drone Venture Lifts Off

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan Airlines (JAL) and telecom titan KDDI are combining their efforts to bring drones to Tokyo skies. The partners have announced that they’ve signed a joint venture to “build the social infrastructure” of the industry, in large part through a drone traffic management system.

Last month, the two firms conducted test flight deliveries of pharmaceutical supplies in Japan’s capital. Drones flew two kilometers over the Sumida River from pharmaceutical wholesaler Mediceo’s distribution center to St. Luke’s International Hospital. The delivery was executed in approximately ten minutes.

The drone proved capable of carrying up to 2.75 kilograms, plateauing at a height of 80 meters over the Sumida River, crossing three bridges.

KDDI’s Smart Drone Tools, a 4G LTE communication system, may be implemented in future tests.

These experiments are being conducted over Tokyo with an eye on the anticipated lifting of the ban on Level 4 drone flights in Japan, which will allow beyond visual line of sight flights in populated areas under certain conditions.

JAL and KDDI expect their venture to produce revenue of ¥10 billion (US$86 million) in the next three years.

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