FlyingBasket, a developer of heavy-lift cargo drones for commercial and civil applications, provides an in-depth overview of its pilot project, where the South Tyrol-based company successfully delivered over a ton of goods to four remote alpine huts across 21 cargo drone flights. Read more >>
The initiative, titled “Pilot Supply to Mountain Huts – Summer 2025,” was completed in collaboration with the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, which supports innovation in sustainable mobility and mountain management.
The program successfully delivered supplies to the alpine huts Borletti, Payer, Vedretta Pendente, and Vallaga using FB3 drones. Deliveries included perishable food items, such as milk and eggs, as well as heavy and bulky materials, like fire extinguishers, beer kegs, and wooden briquettes.
Operating at altitudes exceeding 3,000 meters, the heavy-lift drones carried payloads of up to 120 kilograms per hour and provided a total of 1,000 kilograms of goods. This was the first time in South Tyrol that cargo drones were used to supply huts inaccessible by road under real operating conditions.
On return flights, empty crates and barrels were transported back to the valley, further demonstrating the efficiency and circular potential of the system.
Environmental Benefits
Traditionally reliant on helicopters, which are costly, noisy, and carbon-intensive, FlyingBasket’s drone technology offers a cleaner, safer, cost-efficient, and quieter sustainable alternative for transporting goods to alpine huts.
With tourism on the rise in South Tyrol, these sustainable logistics are becoming a critical part of mountain infrastructure. The pilot project highlights the practicality of emission-free resupply, and helps reduce the impacts of overtourism by cutting down on unnecessary transport runs and ensuring alpine huts remain well-stocked without adding extra road or air traffic.
Moritz Moroder, CEO and co-founder of FlyingBasket, stated, “We are extremely proud to have successfully completed this project. Cargo drones can revolutionize alpine logistics: they’re more sustainable than helicopters, safer and more economical, and able to serve mountain huts without harming the environment. It’s an important step that strengthens the connection between technological innovation and the territory – making the mountains more accessible, without compromising their integrity.”
Christian Bianchi, Provincial Councilor for Public Works, added, “The pilot program conducted with FlyingBasket in the summer of 2025 has proven that drone-based resupply for alpine huts is now a concrete, reliable reality. This is a modern and sustainable solution that significantly lowers operational costs and eliminates CO₂ emissions compared to helicopter flights. The seasonal CO₂ savings – between 4.7 and 7.6 tons – equal the annual absorption of 400 to 630 trees.
“It’s tangible proof that technology can make a real contribution to climate protection and the quality of mountain services. As a Province, we will continue to support these projects with conviction — they represent a key step toward a more respectful and sustainable way of living the mountains.”
FlyingBasket Development
FlyingBasket, founded in Bolzano in 2015, has become a European leader in heavy-lift cargo drones capable of transporting payloads of up to 100 kg, making aerial lifting and transportation available to all industries.
The company continues to develop and operate UAV solutions for energy and middle-mile logistics. Its work on the pilot project in South Tyrol comes full circle, reflecting FlyingBasket’s strong ties to its Alpine origins that first inspired the development of its technology, even as the company has expanded internationally.
