La Gomera has made history by being the first place in Spain to successfully complete the country’s first drone-based delivery of medical supplies, marking a significant step forward in healthcare logistics for remote and insular territories.
The landmark flight, carried out yesterday, Monday, saw an unmanned drone deliver medical samples from the island’s General Hospital to Playa Santiago, in the municipality of Alajeró, in just under nine minutes, a journey that typically takes around 50 minutes by road.
The project, spearheaded by the La Gomera Cabildo, in collaboration with Bluenest (the advanced air mobility division of infrastructure group Globalvia), aims to slash medical transport times by up to 75%. It is expected to greatly improve the healthcare system’s ability to serve remote areas, where current transport is limited to just two days a week.
The drone used in the test flight has a payload capacity of up to five kilograms and is capable of carrying surgical equipment, biological samples, and, in the future, even human organs thanks to on-board refrigeration technology.
The aircraft takes off vertically, reaching an altitude of 70 metres before transitioning to horizontal flight at speeds approaching 100 km/h. The landing is fully automated, with the drone using an onboard camera to identify a QR code on the ground, one of the most delicate phases of the flight due to potential crosswinds.
“This test flight marks a turning point,” said José Ignacio Rodríguez, general director of Bluenest. “Within ten years, we could see air taxis linking La Gomera with the south of Tenerife, capable of carrying up to four passengers.”
