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Droneliner - The Future of Airfreight
Shipping Containers in the Sky
Droneliner - Autonomous AirFreight
The patented Droneliner is a transformational global airfreight system. It can carry 350 tons of cargo in up to 80 lightweight 20ft shipping containers in a remotely-piloted roll-on/roll-off drone, providing low-cost, low-emissions, fast worldwide bulk cargo delivery.
Why Airfreight Has to Change
Decisions to ship by air or sea come down to two factors – Cost and Time
Air freight is cost-prohibitive and environmentally unfriendly due to the limited payload, the amount and cost of fuel used, the complexities of the loading/unloading process and the cost of crew and handlers.
Sea freight takes much longer (weeks instead of days) but it used to cost less. Shipping containers are the magic ingredient that makes sea freight work efficiently and at low cost but current aircraft are not designed to handle them. And global conflicts and bottlenecks are driving up costs of marine shipping.
Droneliner can reduce the cost of airfreight by more than 70% and bring it down to levels comparable to sea freight whilst also reducing the delivery time and reducing emissions. It makes airfreight a viable option for many more goods. It's also a flexible heavy lift solution.
The Evolution of Freight Transport
From Inefficient Airliners
Today's air freight planes were designed and built to carry passengers not containers. Standard sized shipping containers simply won’t fit in round-sided fuselages. Ex-passenger airliners are only suitable for carrying small packages. It's impossible to utilise all the space in a hold with a domed roof. And they use a lot of fuel per ton of cargo.
From Archaic Handling Methods
Right now Air Cargo has to be unpacked and repacked onto netted pallets and ULDs by teams of manual labourers - four times per flight. Manhandling each and every item is extremely labour intensive. All of this adds days of significant delays to the delivery process. And the cargo can't flow smoothly from, or to, trucks and trains.
From Clogged Ports and Vulnerability
Marine shipping is seeing many more challenges too. Ports are getting busier and more congested as container ships grow in number and in size. And global conflicts, disputes, diversions, accidents and virus health fears all create vulnerable and fragile supply chains, delays and extra cost and risk.
To Transformative Supply Chains
Companies like Amazon, Temu and Shein have changed the way the world sees direct parcel delivery. And all companies now seek ways to ensure their supply chain is fast, efficient and flexible, and with the application of AI this will only evolve more. From food, to pharmaceuticals, to fashion, flowers and phones, a smooth, fast, economical supply system is becoming essential. Droneliner provides the intelligent, streamlined backbone to enable all these things at speed, for low cost with lower emissions.
Droneliner Delivers the Solution
Lightweight intermodal 20ft and 10ft containers
No pilots (a long-haul airliner needs multiple crew)
Heavy lift options (200-ton or 350-ton payload)
90%+ reduction in handling costs
Efficient roll-on/roll-off freight system
6,500-mile range
Lifts 40 or 80 5-ton carrying 20ft containers
Hyperactive: 1 hour turnaround
Highly flexible cargo configuration
Ultra-low-drag airframe
Off-the-shelf components
Low-cost modular construction
A fraction of the operating costs
95% reduction in CO2 emissions
The Aircraft
DL200
Single boosted engine + EV power
Two decks
36 – 40+ containers
350 tons MTOW
160 - 200 tons payload
6,500nm/12,000km range
DL350
Twin engines + EV power
Three decks
70 – 80+ containers
600 tons MTOW
300 - 350 tons payload
6,500nm/12,000km range
Droneliner Delivers
More freight– faster– at lower cost – with lower emissions
Bringing Droneliner to Life
Realise Design
We're grateful to the design team at Realise Design in Bristol who supported us in bringing the Droneliner design to life https://www.realisedesign.co.uk/droneliner/