Drone Delivery

Known as Zips, Zipline’s “Platform 2” delivery system takes a step forward to bring drone delivery to the home, a dream of all drone delivery companies on the market. Will this be the one that finally succeeds? MKBHD dropped a video this week checking out their testing site, showing how the new system works.

As larger heavy-lift VTOL UAV technology evolves, it’s becoming more and more likely that the US Navy will be at the forefront of drone use of this size in real-world applications, reducing costs to taxpayers and decreasing the risk to service members needed to transport supplies between ships and shore.

Imagine a world where a single fleet of drones can patrol urban waterways, rescue struggling swimmers, and even deliver your lunch — all without a human pilot at the controls. That future is here, thanks to A2Z Drone Delivery.

Editors note: This article has been updated with statements from an Amazon spokesperson.

Amazon’s drone delivery dreams have once again hit turbulence with the company temporarily halting its 60-minute drone delivery service in Texas and Arizona following a series of crashes involving its new MK30 drones. The decision comes after two drones crashed during tests at Amazon’s Pendleton, Oregon, site in December — one of which caught fire on impact.

Walmart’s ambitious foray into drone delivery with DroneUp, launched in 2021, has come to an end. The announcement marks a significant shift in Walmart’s evolving strategy for last-mile delivery solutions, even as drone delivery gains traction in the retail world.

Amazon Prime Air recently launched its most advanced delivery drone in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona and College Station, Texas. The MK30 — promising faster, quieter, and safer deliveries — is now delivering items (weighing five pounds or less) in under an hour to eligible customers. The aircraft is part of Amazon’s ambitious vision to deliver 500 million packages globally by the end of the decade. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Amazon delivery drone.

German drone maker Wingcopter and Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation and have successfully tested the delivery of research blood using drones in Okinawa, Japan. Partnering with ANA Holdings and the Japanese Red Cross, the trial spanned the 53-kilometer route between the cities of Urasoe and Nago, highlighting the promise of drone technology in improving medical logistics.

Can you legally shoot down a drone if it’s “bothering” you? For Dennis Winn, a 72-year-old Florida retiree, the answer has come with a $5,000 restitution order and criminal charges after he shot down a Walmart delivery drone hovering near his Lake County home.

Drone delivery company DroneUp says it has achieved Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This certification empowers DroneUp to operate as a full-fledged air carrier, capable of delivering goods via drone Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and over populated areas.

Tech giant DJI has achieved an important milestone with its FlyCart 30 drone. The heavy-duty drone has officially received the Type Certificate (TC) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, becoming the country’s first medium-sized multi-rotor transport drone to pass this rigorous certification process.

Aerial logistics specialist Drone Express has rebranded as DEXA as it moves closer to obtaining Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 certification. This transition marks the company’s shift from operating under FAA’s Part 107 to aiming for full certification as an Air Carrier. Once approved, DEXA will be able to conduct autonomous Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights for commercial drone delivery purposes across the United States.

Autonomous drone delivery specialist DroneUp is driving down the cost of drone deliveries to an astonishing $7. The company has unveiled a series of new technologies, aiming to make drone delivery more affordable for businesses like retailers, quick-service restaurants, and healthcare providers.

Silicon Valley is about to see a major transformation in home delivery, with drones now taking to the skies. Matternet, a pioneer in drone technology, has launched the first-ever drone delivery service in California, offering residents in Mountain View and Sunnyvale an ultra-fast, zero-emissions way to receive food and other goods right at their doorstep.

Wing Aviation, Google’s on-demand drone delivery unit, is joining forces with Serve Robotics to create a more efficient and eco-friendly last-mile food delivery solution that leverages both drones and sidewalk robots.

The grocery delivery landscape in the US is evolving rapidly, and a report by Wing – the drone delivery firm owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet – offers a detailed look at the industry’s future.

Ohio-based logistics company Drone Express has begun offering its drone delivery service to the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina.

Matternet can now self-authorize advanced drone delivery operations in Switzerland and Berlin, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights over populated areas.

Walmart is scaling back its ambitious drone delivery program by shutting down operations in Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Tampa. The decision, driven by unsustainable costs, marks a notable retreat from the retailer’s 2022 expansion into large-scale drone delivery, which was touted as a revolutionary step for last-mile logistics in the US.

The UK is taking fresh steps toward integrating drones into everyday life with a new series of trials launched by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). These trials aim to explore how drones can be safely used for various purposes, including deliveries and inspections, even when they are out of the operator’s sight. The goal is to gather essential safety data and refine regulations, ultimately helping to unlock the full potential of drone technology in the UK.

Flytrex, the trailblazer in airborne food delivery, has just hit a major milestone, completing its 100,000th drone delivery across its North Carolina and Texas locations. The achievement makes Flytrex the only company in the US to surpass 100K commercial food deliveries by drone.

Dallas-area residents will soon witness a historic milestone in drone delivery. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Alphabet’s Wing Aviation and Zipline International approval to operate their delivery drones simultaneously over the Dallas and Fort Worth suburbs without visual observers. Set to begin in August, these flights mark the first time commercial drones can operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in the US, overcoming a major hurdle in drone delivery.