Russian Post mentioned the cost of delivering goods using drones

Analysts studied the costs using the example of the route from the village of Tazovsky to the village of Antipayuta in the Arctic. It turned out that delivering 1 kilogram of cargo with a drone costs 152 times more than on a normal manned flight and 43 times more than on a charter flight. There is now a helicopter connection between these settlements.

According to Pochta’s calculations, the delivery of 1 kg of cargo on a regular flight between points costs 90 rubles, on a charter flight – 315 rubles, using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) – 13.6 thousand rubles.

The company also noted the insufficient reliability of drones available for use, RBC writes. Three models took part in the experiment: the SH-350 with a carrying capacity of up to 50 kg, as well as the SH-450 and VT 440, capable of carrying up to 100 kg.

Additionally, the continued operation of drones requires improving infrastructure. Airlines with manned aircraft do not want to cooperate with UAS for competition and safety reasons, according to Post materials.

The experiment did not produce significant results, as its approval only temporarily removed some administrative barriers, but did not offer effective mechanisms to regulate the commercial use of drones, said RunAvia founder Andrei Patrakov. According to him, the national drone project, started in 2024, did not stimulate the development of the industry. “Without removing administrative barriers, this national project does not make much sense. The problem has not been resolved for almost ten years,” Patrakov added.

In early September, Russian Post resumed delivery of parcels to seven African countries, including Gambia, Cape Verde, Liberia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea.