Antea Group takes on challenge with drone flight to Copenhagen

Drone journey to Europe's most sustainable city

Today, engineering and consulting firm Antea Group launches the longest international drone flight ever. The drone took off from Oranjewoud in Friesland and landed in Copenhagen after a 611-kilometer journey. As far as is known, this is the first time a non-military drone has made a flight of this distance through the airspace of three different countries. The flight, in collaboration with drone specialist DroneQ Robotics, was initially scheduled to take place in the summer. However, obtaining the flight permit for German airspace involved a longer lead time than expected based on experience in the Netherlands and Denmark. The drone is expected to arrive at its destination after four days - it will only fly during daylight.

Dutch record set

With the record-breaking flight, Antea Group wants to show, among other things, what drones can be safely used for in the near future. The engineers and consultants do not arrive at the start unprepared, by the way. Earlier, test flights were conducted over a designated test area of the Department of Public Works. Also, as a dress rehearsal, the first part of the route to Copenhagen was flown as far as the province of Groningen. With a flight distance of 52 kilometers, this last test flight immediately set a distance record for the Netherlands.

Drone traffic laws and regulations

The drone flight 'Xpedition New Horizons' is one of the actions from a strategic 1001-day plan with which the 70-year-old Antea Group is committed to sustainability and innovation, among other things. Tanja Lendzion, CEO of Antea Group Netherlands: "Drone technology is developing at lightning speed. So fast, in fact, that laws and regulations for unmanned air traffic, for example, are struggling to keep up. We see this drone flight as an experiment to experience in practice what you are up against in terms of technology, organization and legislation." 

Migratory season of migratory birds

Although the necessary international regulations already exist from Brussels, drone flight required a permit to be obtained from the relevant aviation authority for each country involved. "That was arranged faster in one country than in another. As a result, we had to postpone the flight from the summer to the fall. And that too has consequences. Because the migration season has now started, we had to adjust part of the flight route because it passes over areas where migratory birds are now resting," Lendzion says.

Mobility solutions of tomorrow

Roel Brandt, Project Manager Drones & Urban Air Mobility: "We are convinced that drones will have an important share in tomorrow's mobility solutions. In the Dutch Drone Delta foundation, we work together with parties such as KPN, Rijkswaterstaat and AirHub to enable automated flight in the (sub-)urban area of the Netherlands. With this drone flight, we are bringing a piece of that future to the present. We are immediately tackling this in a groundbreaking way by flying over three countries. It requires a lot of effort from all parties involved but what we learn today will take us further tomorrow."

Modern bottle mail

In the past, researchers would label bottles with a message and then throw them into the sea from ships, with the goal of learning more about ocean currents. Antea Group's international drone flight aligns with this practical way of doing research. Lendzion: "You could call it a modern form of bottle mail. The difference is that now we do know exactly where our message will eventually land. But in terms of the journey there, it's still pioneering and constant learning."

Connection through innovation

Copenhagen was chosen as the destination of the drone flight because this city is a leader in sustainability. On its journey, the drone - referring to the bottle mail of yesteryear - takes with it a bottle painted by Frisian artist Bonny Dijkstra. The small work of art symbolizes Antea Group's message that innovation across national borders can connect people. According to the flight plan, the drone will land in front of the entrance of the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen after its journey. After receiving it, the museum will include the brought message in its exhibition.