Nepalese company Airlift Ventures has succeeded in making the first aerial delivery using drones at an altitude of more than 6,000 meters on Mount Everest. This operation seeks to facilitate the supply of materials to climbers and in turn remove the waste accumulated after decades of expeditions.
During tests conducted between April and May, Airlift’s FC30 drones demonstrated unprecedented efficiency. They carried up to 33 kg per flight from base camp to Camp 1, reducing the journey across the dangerous Khumbu Icefall from six hours to just ten minutes.
This time reduction not only optimizes the safety of the expedition members, but also reduces the dependence on extreme human effort.
Drones on Everest for waste problem
Everest faces a serious environmental problem. Each climber leaves an average of 8 kg of waste, generating more than 10,000 kg per season. Until now, cleanup has depended almost exclusively on the manual labor of porters and Sherpas.
Airlift Ventures proposes a paradigm shift: its drones have already transported up to 234 kg of waste in just two hours, proving to be an effective tool for this critical task.
The project is supported by the government of Nepal, which is seeking sustainable alternatives to preserve the Himalayan environment without limiting mountain tourism, a key source of income for the country. The use of industrial drones not only optimizes logistics, but also makes it possible to monitor and manage waste in real time.
Airlift Ventures is already preparing to expand its operations to other mountains such as Ama Dablam, where they plan to use heavy-lift drones to remove garbage from remote areas. This initiative opens the door to a new era in mountaineering, where technology and sustainability walk hand in hand.
Source and photo: Airlift Ventures
