Aberdeen International Airport was recognised Airport of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards – one of two accolades picked up by AGS Airports. The Project CAELUS consortium led by AGS Airports in partnership with NHS Scotland also bagged the Excellence in Technology and Innovation award.
CAELUS (Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland), secured £10.1 million in funding from the Future Flight Challenge at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) last month in July to deliver what will be the UK’s first medical distribution network using drones, which will launch its next phase. Scottish Transport Award judges praised both CAELUS and Glasgow/Aberdeen International Airports for their innovation during the covid pandemic.
AGS Airports Chief Executive Officer Derek Provan said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win the Airport of the Year Award and delighted to see Project CAELUS recognized for all its hard work to deliver the UK’s first medical distribution network using drones.”
“Despite a challenging period for the airport and the wider industry over the last two years, we continue to strive to deliver for our passengers and Scotland.”
Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Group Head of Aerodrome Strategy and CAELUS Project Director, said: “We were delighted when we heard we had been shortlisted in the Scottish Transport Awards earlier this year so to win is a fantastic achievement.”
“The CAELUS project is set to revolutionize the way in which healthcare services are delivered in Scotland. A drones’ network can ensure critical medical supplies can be delivered more efficiently, it can reduce waiting times for test results and, more importantly, it can provide equity of care between urban and remote rural communities.
“This award is testament to the hard work by all the partners involved in this consortium and I thank them all as we continue onto the next phase of work.”
Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth MSP and host Grant Scott welcomed 450 industry professionals to the event to celebrate the people and organisations that make a real difference to transport across Scotland.
About AGS Airports
AGS Airports Limited was established in 2014 to invest in Aberdeen International, Glasgow and Southampton airports and is the second largest airport group in the UK. AGS Airports Limited is jointly held by Ferrovial (via Faero UK Limited) and AGS Ventures Airports Limited, an entity controlled by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 4 LP.
AGS Airports supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes in excess of £2 billion in GVA to the UK economy every year. In 2021, AGS launched its sustainability strategy setting out how it will balance the undoubted economic and social benefits of aviation with its climate change responsibilities.
About Project CAELUS
CAELUS (Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland), brings together 16 partners including the University of Strathclyde, NATS and NHS Scotland. Together they are working to deliver what will be the first national drone network that can transport essential medicines, bloods and other medical supplies throughout Scotland including to remote communities.
Since securing £1.5 million in January 2020, the CAELUS consortium has designed drone landing stations for NHS sites across Scotland and developed a virtual model (digital twin) of the proposed delivery network which connects hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution centres and GP surgeries across Scotland.
The CAELUS consortium comprises: AGS Airports Limited, ANRA Technologies UK, Arup, Atkins, Cellnex UK, Commonplace Digital, Connected Places Catapult, DGP Intelsius, Dronamics, NATS, NHS Scotland, Plane Finder, Skyports, The Drone Office, Trax International, University of Strathclyde.
This article was first published in Aberdeen International.
