India tests longer-range drone flights, eyes Covid-19 vaccine deliveries

Technicians fly a drone belonging to the Throttle Aerospace Systems (TAS) which flies Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) to deliver life saving medical supplies during a flight testing at Gauribidanur, about 80km away from Bangalore. — AFP

BANGALORE, India: An aviation firm has carried out the first tests in India of longer-range drone deliveries, as hopes grow that they could deliver medicines as well as Covid-19 vaccines to remote areas.

Greater use of drones could be a game-changer for medical services in the South Asian nation’s hard-to-reach rural areas where healthcare is limited and roads often poor, experts say.