Drone professionals express concern over new aerial food delivery hub for Manna

Gordon Deegan

A body representing commercial drone operators has said it strongly opposes any further blanket monopolisation of urban airspace by a few private drone operators.

Brian Whyte, chairman of Drone Professionals Ireland, made the statement in response to a planning application lodged with South Dublin County Council to Manna's drone food delivery service for the Tallaght area.

Last month, Partas lodged plans for an aerial delivery hub at the Tallaght Enterprise Centre for Manna.

A planning report for the application said the aerial delivery hub "would enable benefits such as faster deliveries, cost reduction and lessening of environmental impact”.

However, in a submission to the council on behalf of Drone Professionals Ireland, Mr Whyte said the airspace surrounding this planning application is already heavily restricted for drone operators due to its proximity to Casement Aerodrome.

Mr Whyte told the council that a further restriction on airspace in the area for a single commercial operator to deliver food “is unfairly punitive on all other drone operations and businesses”.

He said: “We strong oppose any further blanket monopolisation of urban airspace by a few private drone operators until there are robust and functional UTM systems in place to handle these sorts of operations”.

A planning report lodged with the application by Downey Chartered Planners said the aerial delivery hub will be operated by Manna Drones Delivery, an established Irish drone delivery firm currently operating "within a significant footprint of Dublin City and surrounds".

The Downey report states that Manna Drones Delivery has already secured planning permission from Fingal County Council for an aerial delivery hub at Blanchardstown.

In recent days, Manna said it would be able to reach around half a million people in the capital by the summer as it expands to two new areas and is aiming to have 10 bases serving 1 million customers in Dublin by the end of this year.

The planning statement said the not-for-profit Partas recently obtained planning permission for a food court which is due to open in February next year at this location.

The statement added that “drone delivery holds the promise of revolutionising logistics by offering faster, more efficient, and sustainable delivery solutions in the years to come and so our client is seeking to enhance their food court by proposing to provide this service in collaboration with Manna Drones Delivery”.

The 12-page planning statement adds that “the development has been scaled in a manner whereby any existing amenities of the area are not adversely affected in any way, nor any degradation of privacy arising from this subject development”.

A decision is due later this month.