The dream of receiving deliveries by drone has been gaining traction as advancements in technology move closer to reality.
Despite the hype surrounding delivery drones, widespread implementation in the United States has lagged behind expectations.
Even after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved commercial drone deliveries over six years ago, the practice is still largely limited to select suburban and rural areas.
However, the landscape is set to change following a recent proposal by the FAA to ease restrictions, allowing companies to operate drones beyond the pilot’s line of sight and cover longer distances.
While a few companies currently offer such services under specific waivers and certifications, the new rule aims to make the process more accessible to a broader range of retailers and drone operators.
Companies that have tested drone deliveries anticipate reaching millions more U.S. households in the near future.
Walmart, in collaboration with Wing—an Alphabet-owned drone company—currently facilitates deliveries from 18 stores in the Dallas area, with plans to extend to 100 more locations across major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa by next summer.
Amazon’s Prime Air delivery service has also gained significant momentum since its launch in College Station, Texas, in late 2022.
Securing FAA authorization to use autonomous drones that can fly beyond a pilot’s line of sight, Amazon has expanded its operations to suburban Phoenix and has ambitious plans to introduce this service in Dallas, San Antonio, and Kansas City.
The concept of delivering goods by drone isn’t entirely new.
Zipline, a drone manufacturer, has partnered with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, previously executing deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda since 2016.
Another player, Flytrex, collaborated with DoorDash to initiate drone deliveries to homes in Iceland back in 2017.
Despite advancements, Wing CEO Adam Woodworth noted that the industry has been treading carefully, pointing to hesitance among service providers to scale up operations due to an uncertain regulatory landscape.
“Reaching an ideal moment where customer demand, technical capacity, and regulatory frameworks align is critical,
image source from：abcnews
