Ashdod, Israel – October 2025
Ashdod Port Company has successfully completed a groundbreaking proof-of-concept (POC) pilot for an autonomous drone system in a live operational environment, as part of the Port’s Maritime Technology Hub (Blue Ocean CVC). The pilot was conducted in collaboration with Airwayz, Dynamic Infrastructure, Sentrycs, FlightOps, and Propeller Drones, combining advanced technologies for fleet management, autonomous control, real-time data processing, and intelligent airspace monitoring. The project explored the use of autonomous drones for security, operational monitoring, and data-driven decision-making, reflecting a global shift toward integrating drones as essential management tools in complex infrastructure and supply-chain environments.
By implementing these systems, Ashdod Port can now manage its airspace alongside sea and land operations, improving efficiency, safety, and situational awareness across the port. The drones enable wide-area monitoring in real time, the identification of anomalies, and support for port workers in performing tasks more safely and effectively. They also enable airspace control, including detection and interception of unauthorized drones a capability that is rapidly becoming a global standard in ports and other critical infrastructure.
Shaul Schneider, Chairman of Ashdod Port, said:
“Drones have become an integral part of modern port operations. Their ability to combine security, operational precision, and real-time situational awareness positions Ashdod Port at the forefront of innovation in Israel and worldwide. A similar system operates at the Port of Rotterdam, and we are now adopting this model in Ashdod. As a strategic national facility that must remain operational at all times, the drone network will serve as an additional protective layer while also enhancing our operational and maritime logistics capabilities.”
Nissan Levy, CEO of Ashdod Port, noted:
“The integration of drones at the port demonstrates how technology can complement and strengthen human work, not replace it. We continuously monitor new developments to improve efficiency and maintain Ashdod Port’s leadership as a global innovation hub with advanced, real-world solutions.”
From the technological side, participating companies see this pilot as a significant milestone. Eyal Zor, CEO of Airwayz, explained:
“At Ashdod Port, we are applying the experience gained at the Port of Rotterdam, managing a full drone ecosystem that is safe, smart, and autonomous. Our system functions as an autonomous control tower, enabling the port to approve flights, prioritize missions, and detect unauthorized drones in real time. Together with our partners: FlightOps, Propeller Drones, Dynamic Infrastructure, and Sentrycs, we are demonstrating what a truly smart port looks like: one that manages not only sea and land, but also its skies.”
Roi Avrahami, Head of the Maritime Technology HUB (Blue Ocean CVC), concluded:
“The ability to manage the port’s airspace introduces a new dimension of safety and intelligence. It allows us to prevent conflicts between drones and aircraft, ships, or critical infrastructure, to define safe and restricted flight zones, and to know precisely who is in the sky at any given moment. This capability marks another step in building a safer, smarter, and more efficient port where technology directly improves operations and drives economic value, and that is exactly why maritime innovation is thriving here in Israel.”
The pilot concluded successfully, and the feasibility of expanding drone operations across Ashdod Port facilities and its international Innovation Embassies is now under review.
For more information: www.blueocean-cvc.com