Russian Post plans to launch postal drones in Kamchatka by 2023

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Sept 3 (Interfax) - Russian Post and the government of the Kamchatka Territory are going to jointly develop deliveries using drones in the region, the postal company's press service said in a statement.

JSC Russian Post CEO Maxim Akimov and Kamchatka Territory Governor Vladimir Solodov signed the corresponding agreement during the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok on Friday.

"Under the agreement, the parties will coordinate efforts in the field of developing unmanned aviation. By 2023, Russian Post plans to launch deliveries by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on 19 routes for 18 populated areas in the Kamchatka Territory. Test flights have already been conducted on some of them, which have confirmed the efficiency and capability of UAV to fulfill logistics tasks," the statement said.

Using drones will make it possible to almost halve logistics costs in the territory, which will help boost cargo flow volumes 11-fold in the long term, it said.

"Availability of transport to remote communities in the region is complicated and is not infrequently carried out only by air. However, due to the complicated climatic conditions, at times, even helicopters are unable to get to the northern regions of the territory in good time. In this context, the agreement will make it possible to take provision of postal delivery services to the population to a new level," Solodov was quoted as saying in the statement.