The Future Flight Challenge is a £300million UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) initiative jointly funded by Government and industry to ramp up Britain’s aviation industry. Set up by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to “drive industry change in important areas”, it includes a move to create new forms of flying vehicles that can send post whizzing to your door in minutes. According to the UKRI’s roadmap, by 2030 unpiloted, non-passenger carrying drones of all sizes could be a common delivery service.
Expect takeaways to zip to your plate in minutes and have your much-needed parcel dropped off at a moment’s notice.
Gone will be the days of battling for delivery as the drones have been tipped to create much faster and more convenient opportunities.
Future Flight Challenge Director Gary Cutts told Express.co.uk: “In some cities, grocery companies already promise to have deliveries to your door within 15 minutes.
“Flying deliveries to homes would expand the delivery radius available for these companies, as they can fly faster than a courier could travel on the road.”
Mr Cutts explained that a rapid delivery service will not just be limited to people living in big cities.
He told Express.co.uk: “We see postal services, especially to remote areas, as being another important beneficiary of faster and more regular deliveries.”
As part of the Future Flight Vision & Roadmap, the Government is providing £125million of public funding to support the scheme.
The investment is matched by £175million from the industry.
It is all part of a revolution of aviation in the UK.
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The plan also includes creating air taxis that could revolutionise the morning commute.
By introducing advanced air mobility vehicles capable of vertical take-offs and landings, UKRI hopes that the new technologies could provide short journeys through congested areas for up to 10 people.
Another part of the plan involves setting up a “pop-up airport” project that will create the world’s smallest airports that can be deployed to support things like disaster emergencies.
As well as building and using the technologies, the UK may also become a major exporter of them too, placing Britain at the forefront of the aviation innovation industry.