21 flights, four refuges reached and over a ton of freight transported; the province of Bolzano has just presented a pilot project in which cargo drones deliver supplies to hard-to-reach refuges.
In South Tyrol, cargo drones are being used for the first time to supply hard-to-reach mountain huts in the mountains. The local technology company "FlyingBasket" has completed a pilot project together with the province of Bolzano to test transportation via drone in alpine terrain.
A total of 21 flights were carried out, delivering over a ton of goods to four mountain huts - Borletti, Payer, Vedretta Pendente and Vallaga. The drones delivered fresh food such as bread, milk, eggs and apple juice as well as heavy goods such as beer barrels, wood briquettes and fire extinguishers. On the return flight, they took empty crates and barrels back down to the valley.
According to the state government, the use of drones should offer an environmentally friendly alternative to helicopters in the future. "A conventional ten-minute helicopter flight costs around 950 euros and generates around 79 kilograms of CO₂. Drones completely eliminate these emissions," explained Provincial Councillor Christian Bianchi to Südtirolnews.
The project entitled "Pilot supply of mountain huts - summer 2025" aims to show how modern technologies can enable sustainable logistics solutions for the Alpine region. The use of drones reduces noise, saves costs and avoids the expansion of new access routes.
