Drones to be tested with passengers on board this year

Test flights for the first British passenger drone will begin this year.

Martin Warner’s Autonomous Flight Y6S will carry passengers for the first time in spring 2018, having only so far performed flights without people on board.

If the flights are successful, it could lay the way for two-person drones to fly over London in the near future, going between Charing Cross and Heathrow in just 12 minutes.

Warner told Sky News that enthusiasts might be able to purchase the passenger drone for around £20,000.

Meanwhile, Big Four accounting firm PwC has also made further moves to get in on the drone game.

The company has put a UK drones team in place, with the aim of providing clients with real-time data, keeping tabs on the landscape and equipment which might need maintenance.

Some 12 clients are already signed up, providing information in the fields of infrastructure and real estate.

The growth of drones for urban uses has raised the possibility that they could assist the emergency services or deliver parcels.

But some are still concerned that the proliferation of the technology is creating safety hazards, especially to aircraft. The government has promised to introduce new rules on drones.