Port Authority is testing drones to move cargo across New York City and trial flights are underway between Manhattan and Brooklyn.<\/p>\n
It’s not the first time Port Authority has used drones — they also use them to inspect bridges and other infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Leaders say this is laying the groundwork for the next generation of cargo delivery in the region.<\/p>\n
One of the very first trial flights did a cargo trip over the East River from the downtown Skyport to the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.<\/p>\n
The drones carried an empty box for now. The goal at some point during the trial period is to start carrying non-emergency and nonhazardous medical supplies for a nonprofit healthcare company in New York City.<\/p>\n
The flights will operate several times a day — weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.– away from residential buildings and under the supervision of a certified drone pilot with FAA approval.<\/p>\n
The Port Authority partnered with Skyport Drone Services in 2024 after looking for operators that could make drone cargo delivery a reality.<\/p>\n
Officials said the hope is to make drone cargo delivery a reality to lessen delivery vehicles on already congested roads and enhance efficiency, safety, and public benefit.<\/p>\n
“The Port Authority has a very long history of getting it right, whether it’s containerized shipping, which we pioneered in the ’50s and ’60s, or even E-ZPass that I imagine most of your viewers might have in their cars at home,” said Seth Warner, the director of planning and innovation at Port Authority. “The Port Authority was on the cutting edge throughout a lot of these key innovations. And so drones, on the one hand, may seem as a small hobbyist activity, but ultimately, as the drones get bigger and as the opportunities grow for moving goods in nontraditional ways, not in just a truck or not in just a van, we think there could be a real opportunity for this.”<\/p>\n
Due to how close these drones are taking off from helicopters and buildings and other infrastructure, they have to follow strict guidelines and FAA regulations.<\/p>\n
After the trial is over, Port Authority will assess and see how they can expand it to other parts of the region.<\/p>\n
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