Do you get that sinking feeling you left something behind? As long as you’re headed to your superyacht in Port Gallice, you have nothing to fear, because Flyde will be at your service starting August 1st. The startup is set to launch electric drones from Juan-les-Pins to deliver packages directly to vessels at anchor. Whether it is a forgotten phone charger, your favorite night cream, a personal diary, or last-minute galley supplies like that caviar your evening is simply incomplete without, Flyde has you covered. Taking off with a quiet electric hum, the drone puts your worries to rest, delivering your possessions in under 15 minutes without ever interrupting your yacht day or delaying your plans.
This service is a game-changer for Port Gallice, which can officially accommodate yachts only up to 43 meters. Because most billionaire megayachts are too large for the marina, the Korus and Eclipses of the seafaring world must moor in the deeper waters of the bay. Flyde effectively bridges this gap, creating an aerial corridor that can fly groceries, medicine, and spare parts to floating palaces anchored miles beyond the breakwater. After several years of testing, evaluating four different manufacturers, and heavily revising its design, Flyde finally took flight with a custom craft built by French aerospace drone maker CAVOK Engineering.
According to Nice-Matin, the craft hovers safely overhead and uses a motorized winch system to drop off up to 8 kilograms of cargo. Pierre Deyris, the man behind the startup, highlighted, “Tenders usually come to pick up packages brought by delivery staff from around 11 a.m. onwards. Taking a boat out and mobilizing two crew members takes half an hour and costs at least 27 euros each time just to retrieve a package. The drone offers a 100% electric solution that is faster, more eco-friendly, and cost-effective. These are the three key market demands.”
Flyde went from advertising a single delivery at a staggering €399 ($454) to just $57. Yes, technically, a $57 drone flight still costs more than Fylde’s own $31 (€27) tender fuel estimate; but well-heeled owners are buying time, privacy, and convenience. These are luxuries that ultra-high-net-worth individuals value far above a $20 difference. To use the service, a captain, crew member, or provisioning company simply books a delivery slot through Flyde’s platform. Orders are then whisked across the water at speeds exceeding 60 km/h, covering areas as far as the Lérins Islands and the approaches to Cannes. It is worth noting, however, that this isn’t an on-call 24/7 emergency service just yet. To start, flights will operate only Thursday through Saturday, with Sundays and Wednesdays being added as summer demand scales.
Because safety is paramount, a local remote pilot manages takeoff from the harbor before establishing a link with a control center in Lyon, where an operator oversees the automated flight path. To avoid buzzing over crowds, the route begins on a fixed maritime axis over open water before making a sharp 90-degree turn toward the recipient yacht. At all times, the system uses Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to track ships within a 5-kilometer radius. For yacht enthusiasts and crew members who can already see the daily utility of skipping the slow tender run, there is good news; Flyde is already planning a second Riviera base, coming soon to Cannes-Mandelieu.