AirAsia partners with MaGIC to launch drone delivery service

Data shows that in 2019, the global drone package delivery market size was US$642.4 million and is expected to reach US$7.388 billion by 2027.

It is understood that the pilot project aims to use autonomous drones to deliver goods for AirAsia Group’s e-commerce platforms, including AirAsia Store.

The project will be conducted at the National Technology and Innovation (NTIS) test site in Cyberjaya , Selangor, for six months, the company said in a recent statement.

Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, the country's minister of science, technology and innovation , said Malaysia is poised to become a leader in the drone technology industry, with drone deliveries able to expand e-commerce to wider areas, such as delivering essential medical supplies to rural , remote areas or areas affected by natural disasters.

AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said, “AirAsia is pleased to collaborate with MaGIC to explore urban drone deliveries , an innovative logistics solution that can improve service efficiency and speed up urban deliveries. Moreover, this innovation will be able to create new high-tech job opportunities for Malaysians.”

Additionally, drone delivery logistics systems are able to keep up with growing e-commerce demand and remain agile in the face of changing economic conditions.

Currently, Urban Drone Delivery Sandbox is being tested with two local drone operators, VStream Revolution Sdn Bhd and Meraque Services Sdn Bhd.

The first phase of the project in Cyberjaya aims to assess drone operators’ capabilities , experience , approval processes , deployment readiness and service expansion.

As the National Solutions Coordination and Facilitation Center, NTIS accelerates the development of innovative solutions from the R&D phase to commercial production by eliminating all or selected process or regulatory requirements .

Moreover, NTIS has been working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the sole technical regulator in Malaysia, to ensure the safety of drone aerial services in urban environments in compliance with the requirements and regulations set by CAAM.

logistics

Cross-border e-commerce market

Southeast Asia