Press Release

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo President: Yuji Akasaka), in collaboration with KDDI CORPORATION (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo President: Makoto Takahashi), KDDI SmartDrone Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo President: Masafumi Hirono), East Japan Railway Company (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Yuji Fukasawa), Weathernews Inc.(Head Office: Chiba-shi, Chiba President: Chihito Kusabiraki) and Mediceo Corporation (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Kuniaki Imagawa) will conduct a one-month demonstration of drone transportation of medical supplies in Akiruno-shi, Tokyo, starting on
February 1, 2023.
Prior to the demonstration, an event will be held on January 25, 2023 at an elementary school in the area to
improve the social acceptance of drones.

The demonstration is based on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Demonstration project for the Promotion of Social Implementation of Drone Logistics Services" (*1), which aims for the early social implementation of drone logistics services in Tokyo,taking advantage of the fact that “unassisted, unobserved flights in manned areas (Level 4 flights)became possible under the revised Civil Aeronautics Law, which came into force on
December 5, 2022.The objective of this fiscal year is to establish the foundation for Level 4 flight demonstrations in fiscal 2023.

1. Overview
(1) Long-term Operational demonstration of drone transport of medical supplies
Assuming drone operations at level 4 flight, the logistic drones will be flown transporting medical supplies under remote and autonomous control between the route set between Akiru Municipal Medical Center(location: 78-1 Hikida, Akiruno-shi, Tokyo) and SRL, Inc. Central Laboratory(location: 50 Fuchigami, Akiruno-shi, Tokyo) during the daytime on weekdays in February 2023.
While the pharmaceutical delivery experiment at the Sumida River conducted February 2022 (*2) was a three-day demonstration, this time, a one-month long-term operation to identify technical, business and institutional issues and contribute to the social implementation of the drone logistics business for medical supplies.

                         　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                                           ＜Images of drone transportation＞

(2) Event to improve social acceptance of drone logistics
In the event, lectures and drone experience sessions will be held for school children at local elementary school. The event will include explanations of drone safety management systems and the related legal systems, a survey on social acceptance, and promotional flights using an actual drone.

Since the realization of the implementation of drone services in urban areas would require flying over third parties, including local residents, it is essential not only to secure business potential but also to improve social acceptance. Through this event, we aim to raise understanding and acceptance of residents, which is the challenges in the social implementation of the drone logistics business by disseminating information on the convenience and safety of drones.

　　　　　             ＜Drone flying over elementary school＞

(3) External Support
Akiru Municipal Medical Center
SRL, Inc. / H.U. Group Research Institute
Asia University

2. Role of members of the consortium

3. Future plans for the project
Through the long-term operation of drone logistics in this demonstration, technical, business and institutional issues will be identified, and flight safety system required for regular drone flights and business models will be examined. We also plan to conduct Level 4 flight demonstrations in urban areas in fiscal 2023 and regular Level 4 flight demonstrations in urban areas in fiscal 2024.
In the future, we aim to develop a diverse range of services, including logistics, with the aim of enhancing the urban development with drones.
1) This demonstration project is selected as one of the FY 2022 projects b ased on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's " Drone Logistics Business
Development Project
(*2) February 1, 2022 Press Release " First in Tokyo, Drone to Cross Eitai Bridge and Other Bridges in Pharmaceutical Delivery Experiment " https://press.jal.co.jp/en/release/202202/006503.html