Healthcare providers in France are looking at investing in delivery drone technology, and Dutch drone maker Avy was there recently to help show them how it will work.

In recent days, the company was working with French start-up Delivrone to conduct several successful BVLOS flights over sea as part of a demo.

The goal here was to demonstrate to the French healthcare providers that drone medical delivery is possible.

In their recent collaboration with Avy, Delivrone was in charge of getting the approval for the flights from French aviation authorities. Seconding two pilots to the test site on the flight day, Avy offered the necessary support and and acted as flight crew.

Avya said the pilots, Sabrina and Josephine, successfully conducted the flight missions on the day.

“The flights in France where an exciting experience for Avy Aera and Avy Flight Crew,” Avy said in a statement.

“First of all, a flight in another country requires extra attention to safety measures, local rules, and environmental differences. Specifically, this flight had a peculiar configuration in terms of terrain. Avy Aera took off to 50 metres Above Takeoff point altitude (ATO), which is 150 metres Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL).

Delivrone describes itself as “a French start-up looking to revolutionise the last mile delivery industry using drones. “Basically we’re changing how the world breathes and moves with sustainable and innovative ways to improve medical deliveries. We’re on a one-way trip to create a world with less pollution, less traffic jams and a better health. Climate-neutral Delivrone will be Europe’s leading provider of drone delivery, with a mission to change medical delivery for good.”

“Then we transitioned to fixed wing mode, flew out over the cliff and dropped to 30 metres below take-off altitude. This means we were flying at -30 metres ATO and 70-metre AMSL. After flying several kilometres BVLOS out at sea, Aera climbed back to 50 meters ATO, transitioned into multi copter mode and landed.”

The flights will serve as steps in the process of getting additional and yet more complex operational approvals from the National Aviation Authorities, Avy added, also saying that the two companies chose to work together because they shared a common vision to put together their expertise, resources, and determination to create significant impact.

Avy has previously held successful drone flights in countries that include Botswana and Benin, where they worked with health authorities to showcase how drone technology can be successful in delivering medical supplies and healthcare products.