KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — DHL Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has signed a memorandum of understanding with Pen Aviation Sdn Bhd to commercialise time-critical goods deliveries with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Managing director for Malaysia and Brunei Julian Neo said the company would participate in a proof of commercialisation (POC) by the end of 2021 to demonstrate the commercial viability of time-critical cargo drone delivery for port logistics missions.
“The POC will undertake first-to last-mile port logistics missions jointly conducted by DHL, Pen Aviation as the industry-leading provider of UAV and Raya Airways as the cargo drone operator.
“We are trying to solve three problems in delivery services namely the high costs to pick up and deliver small supplies of cargo to the ship, to increase the efficiency in cargo handling as well as improving safety and security of the services,” he said at the virtual signing ceremony today.
He said the long term goal is to set up a mixed fleet of PEN55V medium-size cargo drones and PEN1360V heavy-size cargo drones that were designed and manufactured in partnership with Cavok-UAS, a French customised UAV manufacturer for defence and security missions.
Meanwhile, Pen Aviation founder and managing director Jean-Bernard Boura said the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) certified POC would be conducted for a period of three months beginning at the end of this month.
“Then there will be a progressive deployment from shore to ship beginning November or December this year for a period of two to three months,” he said.
He said the PEN55V is a UAV with a 55 kilogramme (kg) of maximum takeoff weight that has 2.5 hours endurance and is capable of carrying a maximum of 15 kg payload per flight.
“It is a turbine-powered UAV that includes a number of safety features including a parachute,” he added.
Under the agreement, DHL and Pen Aviation will work together to certify and utilise PEN55V to move shipments to seaports over long distances which will pick up and drop off packages weighing up to 15kg from the cargo ship deck to the port and vice versa, both in the day and at night.
— Bernama
