Is your airport ready for drone deliveries?

Drone deliveries have started to gain traction in the United States for conveniences like restaurant orders, groceries, and small packages. But in other parts of the world, autonomous aircraft are starting to become an essential logistical tool. Drones handle critical deliveries including medical supplies, lab specimens and more. As technology improves, drones are likely to become a more significant piece of the delivery puzzle in the United States as well, especially in rural areas that are not easily served by trucks, rail, or piloted airplanes. 

This recent FDi Intelligence interview with Zipline's Caitlin Burton is an interesting look at where drone delivery is today – hint, it's more advanced than you probably realized – and where it is headed.  It's also an important reminder that air travel is changing rapidly, autonomous flight is a reality that could turn even small rural airports into critical transportation hubs, and communities that aren't already planning for the future risk being left behind. 

Where does your airport stand? Do you have plans for the future? Leadership that supports a vision for using the airport as a resource for economic development? A community that will support efforts to expand and evolve? One way to evaluate your current status is Golden Shovel Agency's new Airport Opportunity Scorecard. Answer a few quick questions and we will send you a baseline report on your airport's economic readiness that highlights areas for improvement – including how ready you are for large-scale drone delivery. 

Complete the scorecard today and discover how ready you are for the future of flying.