South Korean drone logistics and delivery specialist PABLO AIR is taking part in the development of a drone delivery service in New York State as part of a pilot programme initiated by the FAA, NASA and Griffiss International Airport (GIA). The pilot drone delivery service will operate across an air corridor demarcated by the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR). PABLO AIR is a member of a consortium led by EVA, a Brooklyn based startup which develops vertical stations to act as connecting nodes between drones and ground stations.

The project will be conducted in two New York locations: GIA, in Oneida County near Rome, and in Syracuse. The project will test the safety with which cargo can be delivered via drone to its destination; PABLO AIR will load objects onto a drone to be delivered from GIA to a station in Syracuse, a distance of approximately 50 miles.

Since establishing its US branch in June, PABLO AIR has engaged in R&D in Arizona and New York. The company is currently conducting a joint R&D project with EVA to strengthen its existing unmanned distribution system solution for unmanned mobility delivery stations. A designer affiliated with BMW America will assist in the station’s design.

PABLO AIR’s goal is to innovate the distribution industry by providing unmanned integrated distribution systems, in which the drone is the first step. To enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the unmanned delivery system, the company has developed PAMNet, software that operates and controls an integrated version of unmanned land, air and marine mobility systems. PAMNet is designed to speed up the commercialisation of unmanned mobility delivery/distribution solutions by optimising the operational environment and accessibility of unmanned systems. 

Kim Young-Joon, CEO of PABLO AIR, said, “This project is important as an opportunity for a Korean startup to showcase its aviation technologies in New York. We believe that the project is a turning point for PABLO AIR and will act as a stepping stone for our entrance into the American market. Moving forward, PABLO AIR will more actively strive to enter the global market with a sense of mission to benefit humankind through our technologies and services.”