Royal Schiphol Group joins 13 parties in Dutch Drone Delta coalition

During the annual Amsterdam Drone Week 2019, Royal Schiphol Group has joined 13 partners to establish Dutch Drone Delta – a new alliance that is set to develop smart, sustainable solutions through close collaboration and the will to innovate through action. The partnership arose in an effort to realise the full potential of drones and the future of air passenger transport in the Netherlands.

Set to launch on 1 January 2020, Dutch Drone Delta will see Royal Schiphol Group work with multiple partners in order to develop Urban Air Mobility – a new era of travel providing passenger transport using air taxis with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. 

Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Royal Schiphol Group, Henk Jan Gerzee, said: “We feel it’s important to participate in any promising mobility-related developments. That’s why we’re currently working with our partners to explore the future. We want to determine Urban Air Mobility’s potential in terms of improving airport accessibility.”

The new form of mobility will require integration into both current air space and ground transport infrastructure. The first year of work will see the conduction of a study focusing on assessing relevant requirements and potential infrastructure locations, and another to determine how Urban Air Mobility will impact the environment and sustainability. 

The newly organised partnership will focus on the sustainable, economically feasible and safe integration of new and developing forms of mobility. Those involved state that they believe the Netherlands is ideally positioned to play a leading role in new innovative developments in mobility due to its rich aviation tradition, innovative mindset and openness to cooperation.