Story ID: 
Swiss Medical Drones Flying BVLOS
By: Mark Huber
Caption: Transporting Lab Samples, Medications
Word Count: 193
UAS beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) commercial transport operations have begun in Berne, Switzerland. Drones are being used to carry lab samples and urgently needed medications between Insel University Hospital and Tiefenau Hospital, in cooperation with Swiss Post.

These facilities are located approximately 2.5 miles apart and entirely within the controlled airspace around the city’s airport. The drones are equipped with Switzerland-based Flarm Technology's traffic information and collision warning system. Flarm (flight and alarm) allows drones to be tracked and identified at all times.

Swiss Post plans to use UASs to start flying medical missions in Zurich in the near future. That service will connect medical laboratory Zentrallabor ZLZ with the Hirslanden Im Park Hospital using a routing that crosses Lake Zurich in partially uncontrolled airspace.

The Swiss Civil Aviation Authority (FOCA) has been involved in the medical UAS project, inspected the drone and all components, defined legal conditions for flight, and granted flight approvals in Berne and Zurich. The introduction of medical drones could potentially improve patient outcomes. “When lab samples need to be transported from A to B, every minute counts,” said Insel CEO Uwe Jocham.