Japan drone businesses swoop in for a piece of deregulated skies

Japanese businesses are moving to take advantage of a deregulation allowing remote-controlled drone flights in residential airspace, seeking to offer last-mile deliveries that bring food, medicine and more to consumers. The legalization of level 4 flights, in which the pilot operates an unmanned aerial vehicle beyond the visual line of sight, took effect Monday. The government expects such flights to begin in earnest around next spring after a round of licensing. "This day will mark a milestone for expanding the possibilities of drone use," said Masafumi Hirono, president of KDDI SmartDrone. The company will soon open a school where prospective drone operators can receive training and obtain licenses. Besides regular lessons for licenses, KDDI will also offer courses in specialized areas, such as transmission tower inspections, logistics and transport management using drones. Convenience store operators are looking at drones to serve people in remote and depopulated areas. Seven-Eleven Japan has partnered with air carrier ANA Holdings to transport food and other items to customers living on islands. The duo conducted field testing this October in Fukuoka, flying store products to the nearby island of Nokonoshima. Commercialization is slated for fiscal 2025. ANA is collaborating with Tokyo startup Bluestone Link & Circle to analyze signal quality for designing the safest routes.<br/>