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UK Awards £4.4 Million to Future Flight Projects to Scale Drone and Zero-Emission Aviation Trials

The package, delivered by Innovate UK with the transport department, targets real-world trials as the step before wider rollout.

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image: ©kelvn | iStock
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Overview

  • Innovate UK, partnering with the Department for Transport, selected 14 projects for £4.4 million under the Future Flight programme.
  • London Health Bridge will expand its medical-sample drone service from 1,000 to a targeted 50,000 deliveries per month, adding new London hospital sites.
  • Beyond Restoration will deploy long-range, heavy-lift drones to deliver materials for peatland and woodland recovery across ecologically sensitive UK locations.
  • A Scottish Regional Offshore Cargo Drone Demonstrator will pilot the UK’s first heavy-lift drone logistics service tailored for offshore wind farms.
  • The cohort includes eight strategic growth projects and six regional demonstrators covering BVLOS operations, eVTOL and zero-emission aircraft work, and aligns with airspace modernisation, SAF plans, and ATI funding commitments.