Cyprus Exploring Post By Drones

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Cyprus could find itself on the forefront of technological progress if plans materialise to bring postal deliveries by drone to the Mediterranean nation. Post-by-drone could come to Cyprus within two or three years, according to Andreas Gregoriou, Director of the Cyprus Post.

Gregoriou told Cyprus News Agency that manufacturers still need to resolve several issues and that a legal framework needs to be developed in order for this to become a viable option.

“We did not present this option during the event attended by the President of the Republic in order to create an impression,” Gregoriou said, adding that there are provisions in the 2016 Cyprus Post budget for exploring the feasibility of drone postal delivery.

When asked about the role of Cyprus Post, and postal services in general, in the new digital era, Gregoriou replied:  “On the one hand, traditional postal correspondence is being replaced by electronic communications.

“But on the other hand, it has created new needs as a result of online trade that has increased the dispatch of parcels and small packets.”

Posti, Finland’s postal service, made drone history last September when it began experimenting with drone deliveries in urban areas. Currently, Posti uses drones to convey parcels between Helsinki and Suomenlinna, an island about 5 km away.

The US Postal Service has also been testing a delivery system using HorseFly drones.

These are groundbreaking initiatives by national institutions. Until now, most exploration of drone delivery services was done by private, large-scale distributors such as Amazon with its Prime Air project.