Dufour Aerospace supports first medical graft transport by drone in France

Dufour Aerospace announced its participation in a groundbreaking medical logistics operation in France: the successful drone transport of a human tissue graft. Conducted in collaboration with Leeft, the CR2TI UMR 1064 Nantes laboratory of the CHU de Nantes, and organ preservation specialist IGL, the mission represents a significant advancement in time-critical healthcare logistics.

The operation involved transporting a medical graft using an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) over a pre-defined route in western France, demonstrating the real-world viability of long-range drone delivery in high-stakes medical scenarios. The mission marks the first time such a transport has been completed in France and underscores the potential of UAVs to revolutionize healthcare supply chains.

Sascha Hardegger, CEO of Dufour Aerospace commented: "Together with our partners, we have been working on making these flights happen for quite some time. I’m very proud that we could contribute our part in providing a team and an AeroMini drone system to support the mission. As many different actors are involved and time is limited, such operations are quite complex. This helps a lot to get valuable, real-world feedback, which directly supports the improvement of our products." 

Dufour Aerospace provided both the aircraft and integration support to ensure the mission met stringent operational and safety standards. Our tilt-wing aircraft, designed for runway-independent operations and optimized for logistics missions, played a central role in proving that UAVs can enhance speed, precision, and sustainability in medical cargo transport.

The mission was spearheaded by Leeft, a pioneer in inter-hospital drone logistics. Medical oversight and tissue handling were led by the CR2TI UMR 1064 research team from CHU de Nantes, under the direction of Prof. Julien Branchereau and Dr. Benoît Mesnard. IGL, a global expert in organ preservation, contributed essential solutions and knowledge for the protection and transport of the graft. Crucial operational support was also provided by the COMMUNE DU LOROUX-BOTTEREAU and the Mairie de Haute-Goulaine.

This collaboration is a powerful example of how innovation in aerospace and medicine can converge to deliver life-saving outcomes. As uncrewed aerial systems become more integrated into healthcare logistics, missions like this pave the way for safer, faster, and more sustainable delivery of critical medical supplies.