AI-powered flight planning permits dependable BVLOS operations in excessive climate and distant terrain
Bettering Entry to Medical Provides with Drone Expertise
AerialMetric, Madagascar’s prime medical drone supply operator, has introduced a brand new partnership with Shearwater Aerospace. The objective is to broaden entry to life-saving medicines in distant communities throughout the nation. The partnership focuses on fixing key challenges in past visible line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, the place climate and power use can differ tremendously from everyday.
“The combination of Shearwater’s expertise immediately addresses a few of our most urgent operational challenges,” stated Pierre-Loup Lesage, CEO of AerialMetric. “Handbook BVLOS planning is more and more time-consuming and sometimes results in extremely variable route efficiency—with flights that succeed someday however are grounded the following.”
AerialMetric has constructed one among sub-Saharan Africa’s busiest medical drone supply networks. Since 2020, it has accomplished over 10,000 flights, delivering greater than 10 tonnes of important medical provides to over 1,000 well being services. In 2024 alone, practically 3,000 long-range missions have been accomplished—many longer than 200 kilometers. These missions happened in excessive winds, heavy rain, excessive warmth, and at altitudes reaching 1,700 meters.
Sensible Flight™ Permits Safer, Scalable Drone Corridors
The brand new collaboration will use Shearwater’s Sensible Flight™ platform to create secure and regulator-approved drone corridors that keep away from populated areas. The system makes use of stay regional climate knowledge, power forecasts, and security protocols to create optimized BVLOS flight paths.
“By embedding real-time climate evaluation and power forecasting immediately into our flight planning, Sensible Flight™ permits us to ship extra constantly, scale with larger confidence, and strengthen regulatory belief as we broaden our life-saving logistics community throughout Africa,” stated Lesage.
Earlier than every flight, Sensible Flight™ checks that climate and power circumstances are inside plane and authorized limits. Throughout flight, it screens dangers and helps crews resolve whether or not to proceed, reroute, or return to base—making certain every mission stays inside authorized corridors and delivers safely.
Strengthening Well being Companies in Distant Areas
The expertise will assist AerialMetric proceed operations in Madagascar and put together for enlargement into the Democratic Republic of Congo, the place terrain and climate additionally pose critical challenges.
“Dependable drone deliveries are crucial for our capability to serve folks in distant areas,” stated Ny Manda Andrianjatovo, Operations High quality Lead at AerialMetric. “When climate circumstances have an effect on supply schedules, it may well imply the distinction between having important medicines obtainable or not.”
The partnership affords a mannequin for different areas, laying the groundwork for scalable drone-enabled healthcare providers. Governments, NGOs, and industrial companions could discover on this collaboration a examined method to bringing life-saving logistics to underserved communities throughout rising markets.
About AerialMetric
AerialMetric is a pioneer in long-range drone operations, specializing within the design, manufacturing, and deployment of VTOL UAVs for cargo supply and surveillance. Primarily based in Madagascar, the corporate offers cutting-edge logistical options to assist healthcare, humanitarian help, and emergency response throughout Africa. www.aerialmetric.com
About Shearwater Aerospace
Shearwater Aerospace develops state-of-the-art AI-powered software program to boost drone operations. Its flagship platform, Sensible Flight™, helps operators plan BVLOS missions and handle in-flight dangers. The system accounts for climate, terrain, plane limits, and extra, and is trusted by companions together with Lockheed Martin Canada. www.shearwater.ai