JAL TESTS DRONE FOR RELIEF OPERATIONS

Japan Airlines Co. flew a drone carrying emergency relief goods within a city in a mountainous area of western Japan as part of tests aimed at operationalizing logistics services using unmanned aircraft, although the flight was cut short due to adverse winds.

Kyodo News reported that during the test flight opened to the media, a fixed-wing drone that can fly at up to 30 kilometers per hour departed from a park in Yabu, Hyogo Prefecture.

The drone had been scheduled to deliver the goods, including medicines, to a clinic around 5 km away, but was grounded due to safety concerns as the wind blew from a different direction from the one expected.

In March, JAL succeeded in flying a drone between a hospital and a clinic more than 20 km away in the city.