New York begins cargo drone trial between Manhattan and Brooklyn

New York City’s First Authorized Urban Drone Delivery Trial

New York City is conducting its first authorized urban drone delivery trial in the heart of the city. From January 9 through January 23, 2026, a single cargo drone is flying scheduled weekday routes over the East River between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Flights operate hourly from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and are limited to daylight hours only.

I saw the NYC Notify tweet, and started taking notes, now it’s this giant article which is my notes, speech to text as I feed a baby, and grammarly mushing it together.

The pilot program is led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and operated by Skyports Drone Services. The drone flies strictly over open water, avoiding people, buildings, roads, and vessels entirely. The purpose of the trial is to demonstrate that drone-based cargo delivery can be performed safely, predictably, and in compliance with existing regulations in one of the most complex airspaces in the world.

Overview Of The Drone Operation

Key operational details of the trial include:

• One cargo drone operating between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn
• Flights scheduled hourly on weekdays only
• Operating window from January 9 through January 23, 2026
• Flight times from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• All flight paths restricted to the East River
• No overflight of people, vehicles, roads, or vessels
• Takeoff and landing only at approved facilities

NYCEDC announced the trial through Notify NYC alerts to ensure public awareness and transparency around scheduled drone activity.

From Downtown Manhattan Heliport To Downtown Skyport

The Manhattan launch site for the trial is Downtown Skyport, formerly known as the Downtown Manhattan Heliport located at Pier 6 in Lower Manhattan.

In late 2024, following a competitive request for proposals and approval by the Franchise and Concession Review Committee, NYCEDC awarded management of the heliport to Downtown Skyport LLC. The concession became effective in early 2025 and runs for a five-year term.

Downtown Skyport LLC is a joint venture between:

• Skyports Infrastructure, a United Kingdom-based advanced air mobility infrastructure company
• Groupe ADP, the Paris-based airport operator

As part of the agreement, the facility was rebranded as Downtown Skyport and designated for upgrades to support future-focused transportation, including drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

The concession contract explicitly defines “Aircraft” to include drones and mandates that the operator carry at least $25 million in drone-specific liability insurance whenever drone flights occur on site.

Oversight, Monitoring, And Compliance

NYCEDC has established multiple layers of oversight to ensure compliance and safety:

• In August 2025, NYCEDC’s Executive Committee approved a contract with PlaneNoise, Inc.
• PlaneNoise monitors all flight activity at Downtown Skyport, including helicopters and drones
• Monitoring includes route adherence, flight tracking, and noise compliance
• Every drone flight path can be audited after the fact

NYC Emergency Management issued Notify NYC alerts in advance of the trial, informing the public and other airspace users of the scheduled drone flights.

Federal Funding And The “Blue Highways” Strategy

The drone trial is part of a broader multi-modal freight strategy backed by federal funding.

In late 2022, NYCEDC secured a $5.16 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration under the America’s Marine Highway Program.

Key funding details include:

• Grant supports waterborne and aerial freight infrastructure
• Nearly $1 million allocated to Downtown Skyport
• Funding used to build maritime freight facilities and cargo-handling infrastructure
• Part of a broader “Blue Highways” initiative

The goal of the Blue Highways program is to shift deliveries from trucks to boats and drones, reducing street congestion and emissions by using waterways as freight corridors. Design work for Downtown Skyport upgrades is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with construction planned for 2026.

Port Authority Of New York And New Jersey Collaboration

In parallel with NYCEDC’s efforts, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been actively exploring drone logistics.

Notable milestones include:

• May 2023: A successful drone flight carrying Girl Scout cookies from Brooklyn to Jersey City and back
• Late 2023: Strategic partnership formed with Skyports Drone Services and Elroy Air
• February 2024: Public announcement of a three-year collaboration

This initiative focuses on establishing fixed drone routes for “middle-mile” cargo, such as moving small, high-value packages between airports, hospitals, and distribution hubs while bypassing congested roadways.

The NYCEDC East River trial functions as a local pilot that dovetails with this broader bi-state vision.

FAA Waivers And Airspace Permissions

Operating drones in New York City requires special federal authorization.

While specific FAA filings for this trial have not been publicly released, available evidence indicates the use of Part 107 waivers, including:

• 14 CFR §107.31 Beyond Visual Line Of Sight
• 14 CFR §107.39 Flight Over People

FAA records show multiple waivers issued in early January 2026 for advanced drone operations in New York airspace, with some authorizations extending through 2030.

Operational constraints include:

• Flights limited to below 400 feet above ground level
• Operations confined to a narrow corridor over water
• Mandatory FAA Remote ID broadcasting
• Coordination with local air traffic authorities

No city permits are required for takeoff and landing at Downtown Skyport because it is a designated aviation facility. However, New York City law generally prohibits drone operations outside approved sites, reinforcing the water-to-water nature of the trial.

The Drone And Its Operation

The specific make and model of the drone used in the trial have not been publicly disclosed.

Based on Skyports’ previous operations, the drone is likely:

• A professional-grade electric cargo drone
• Under 55 pounds
• Capable of carrying small, high-value payloads
• Equipped with GPS, failsafe systems, and real-time monitoring

Comparable Skyports projects include:

• Speedbird DLV-2 drone used in a 2025 Michigan DOT Great Lakes trial
• RigiTech Eiger drone used for medical deliveries in Europe
• Heavy-lift trials with Pyka Pelican Cargo and Skyways V2 platforms

For the East River trial, payloads are believed to be relatively light, such as documents, medical samples, spare parts, or e-commerce goods. Each river crossing takes only minutes, replacing slower truck routes over bridges and through tunnels.

Global Investment And Industry Backing

Skyports is backed by significant international investment.

Key disclosures include:

• $110 million Series C funding round completed in April 2024
• Lead investor: ACS Group, a major Spanish infrastructure firm
• Groupe ADP as a strategic co-owner of Downtown Skyport LLC

Both ACS and Groupe ADP have positioned New York City as a flagship example of urban drone and vertiport deployment in their public communications and investor materials.

NYCEDC has also promoted drone and robotics initiatives through reports such as the October 2023 “Automation Innovation” study produced by the Urban Tech Hub at Cornell.

What Comes Next

After January 23, 2026, NYCEDC and Skyports will evaluate the results of the trial.

Possible next steps include:

• Longer trial periods
• Additional routes within the city
• Expanded payload types
• Integration with New Jersey routes
• Alignment with upcoming FAA BVLOS rulemaking

The trial also coincides with plans for electric air taxi service in New York City, with companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer targeting potential launches as early as 2026 or 2027. Downtown Skyport is expected to serve as a key vertiport for those operations.

This drone trial represents a small but significant step toward normalizing aerial logistics in New York City. The flights over the East River are not a stunt. They are designed to be routine, regulated, and repeatable.

New York City is no longer asking whether drone delivery is possible. It is testing how to do it correctly.

Why This Matters For Adafruit

This East River drone trial is not just another technology demonstration. It is a real attempt to build cargo infrastructure in one of New York City’s busiest logistics corridors.

Imagine a future where parts from Adafruit’s Brooklyn warehouse are flown directly into Downtown Manhattan or across the harbor to makers, labs, and factories without sitting in bridge or tunnel gridlock. Drones like these could serve our community, our partners, and our customers at “city scale”.

Adafruit already supplies electronics that are used from the stratosphere to the street: sensors, controllers, power systems, radios, flight computers, breakout boards, and development kits.

We’ll see if we can find some at Skyports Drone Services or the Downtown Skyport team. Adafruit provides the hardware ecosystem that keeps a lot of things flying, would be cool to see if we can offer drone express delivery from Brooklyn.

I emailed NYCEDC for corrections or comment. It’s the weekend though, if they want to let us ship an Adafruit order by drone, that would be cool. If there are any updates, I will put them here, I’ll hit publish hard enough to require either a 3D-printed replacement button or one delivered by drone.

Sources And References

• https://brooklyneagle.com/360270/a-cargo-drone-will-be-flying-between-lower-manhattan-and-brooklyn-through-jan-23/
• https://edc.nyc/press-release/nycedc-unveils-downtown-skyport-new-operator-takes-over-city-owned-heliport
• https://skyports.net/nycedc-announces-new-operator-for-the-downtown-manhattan-heliport/
• https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/
• https://edc.nyc/press-release/nycedc-announces-over-5-million-federal-grant-improve-water-freight-service
• https://skyportsdroneservices.com/news/
• https://dronelife.com/2025/05/27/skyports-drone-services-launches-groundbreaking-projects-in-us-and-uk/
• https://njbmagazine.com/njb-news-now/cargo-drones-to-deliver-on-port-authoritys-ambitions-for-package-routes/
• https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/blogs/air/cargo-drones-to-deliver-on-port-authoritys-ambitions-for-package-routes.html
• https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers/waivers_issued
• https://lede-admin.nyc.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2024/12/JRB-Draft-Concession-Agreement.pdf
• https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/advanced-air-mobility/downtown-manhattan-heliport-be-operated-skyports-groupe-adp

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