UPS Flight Forward

History

2019: Creation of the company

On July 23, 2019 United Parcel Service (UPS) announced creation of UPS Flight Forward subsidiary company which will be engaged in delivery of sendings by means of drones.

UPS has big plans for use of UAVs in logistic transactions. But at first it should receive at the Federal Aviation Administration of the USA (FAA) permission to use of drones in localities, at night and when they are not visible to the person operator. Only after that the company will be able to be engaged in commercial operation of the UAV.

UPS created "daughter" for use of drones

It is expected that UPS Flight Forward will be able to receive certificates of FAA for several drones and pilots is later in 2019, having become the first company which made it.

According to the vice president of the Advanced Technology Group direction in UPS Bala Ganesh (Bala Ganesh), the company "lays the foundation" for business on delivery of sendings by means of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Earlier UPS made experiments with drones. So, the logistic giant cooperated with CyPhy Works company within delivery of medical loads to areas of the humanitarian  disasters.

Besides, in March, 2019 UPS announced start of "a revolutionary logistics service" for delivery of medicines and analyses by means of UAVs in Northern Carolina. The company signed with the Californian producer of Matternet drones the agreement which allowed to start service for delivery of medical samples by air in    the city of Roli (State of North Carolina). By July, 2019 UAVs of UPS and Matternet daily perform from 5 to 10 flights.

UPS Flight Forward is aimed at cooperation with the medical companies as UPS looks for the most profitable sources of income in conditions of decrease in a margin from services of the goods delivery from online stores.^[1]

Notes