Israeli town abuzz with delivery drones in coordinated airspace test

Delivery drones are seen midair during a demonstration whereby drones from various companies flew in a joint airspace and were managed by an autonomous control system in Haifa, in an open area near Hadera, Israel March 17, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

HADERA/HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - The skies above the Israeli town of Hadera were abuzz with delivery drones on Wednesday as national authorities tested a central control room for safely coordinating the small pilotless aircraft with each other as well as with planes and helicopters.

The popularity of the cheap, low-flying drones, and their potential for ferrying anything from pizzas to prescription drugs between businesses and homes, has stirred fears of mid-air collisions or crashes that could cause casualties on the ground.