The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Skyports Drone Services are set to begin a yearlong drone cargo trial on April 27, flying light cargo between Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Marine Terminal on weekdays for a 12-month period.

The flights will operate on a fixed route entirely over water, piloted by a certified drone operator under FAA approval. The trial builds on a two-week proof-of-concept test conducted in January of this year, during which the drone completed 135 flights, covered 151 miles, and transported 252 pounds of dummy cargo. Each one-way crossing of the East River averaged four minutes, five times faster than a road vehicle trip.

During the yearlong trial, a Skyports drone will make multiple round-trips every day between the Downtown Skyport in Manhattan and the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, both managed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). The drone will carry cargo such as light pharmaceuticals for a nonprofit health system, with the goal of assessing how drone-based medical cargo delivery can improve patient outcomes.

The Port Authority partnered with UK-based Skyports following a 2023 request for operators interested in developing drone cargo routes in the region. Skyports currently operates middle-mile drone delivery services in Scotland for Royal Mail and in Germany for RWE, delivering cargo to offshore wind turbines.

Given the Manhattan launch site's proximity to ferry landings, maritime traffic, and one of the country's most congested airspaces, Skyports will operate in compliance with FAA regulations as well as guidelines from NYCEDC, the NYPD, FDNY, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

At the conclusion of the trial, the Port Authority and Skyports will evaluate whether the service can be expanded to additional cargo drone routes across the region. The health system partner will separately assess the program's impact on patient outcomes and the feasibility of a permanent scheduled drone delivery service.

The trial is part of a broader New York City initiative to shift freight movement from roads to waterways and airspace. NYCEDC designated Downtown Skyport LLC — a joint venture between Skyports Infrastructure and Groupe ADP — as the Downtown Skyport's new operator in April 2025, with plans to develop the site into a multimodal hub for sustainable cargo and passenger transport.

“Around the world, drones have proven themselves an effective tool for getting critical cargo from A to B, providing a quicker and cleaner alternative to regular road transport,” said Skyports CEO Alex Brown. “Whether it’s traversing heavy traffic or tough terrain, drones have real potential to improve middle-mile logistics. We look forward to demonstrating their potential in New York over the next 12 months, helping to take vehicles off the road and improve the level of care provided to medical patients.”

Source: Skyports Drone Services