Walmart Taps Wing, Zipline in Huge Texas Drone Delivery Scaling

Walmart has announced the dramatic expansion of its drone operations in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, tapping existing UAV service partners Zipline and Wing to spread that aerial coverage to 1.8 million additional households – a likely landmark development in the scaling of aerial deliveries across the US. 

Walmart broke the news late Tuesday during a CES keynote speech by company CEO Doug McMillon. He said the move would “provide drone delivery for up to 75% of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) population,” covering more than 30 towns and municipalities. A Walmart communiqué said the decision marked the “first time a US retailer has offered aerial services to this many households in a single market.” That plan will extend Wing’s current footprint of 60,000 households in DFW, and import Zipline’s work elsewhere for the world’s largest retailer.

Their selection no doubt reflects recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approvals to ease the conditions – and thereby expand the liberty and reach of several US drone delivery operators – to fly beyond visual line of sight without ground observers. Both Wing and Zipline were among those companies.

Significantly, longtime UAV service provider DroneUp – in which Walmart has an ownership stake – is not believed to have received similar FAA authorization. It also wasn’t named as a participant in the DWF expansion, despite being active in the aerial operations the retailer offers in six other states. Enhanced BVLOS permissions appear to have been critical in Walmart’s choice of expansion partners in Texas.

“(Wing and Zipline) are approved by the FAA to fly their drones without a dedicated observer being able to see the drone at all times, known as Beyond Visual Line of Sight,” the Walmart statement said – citing that ability as key to unlocking “drone delivery to more Texans than ever before.”

Zipline greeted the development as increasing “by more than 1,000x” the Walmart clients it has served since launching operations at the retailer’s Pea Ridge, AK location in 2021. The South San Francisco-based startup said it will be using its new P2 system of paired transport and payload lowering “droid” drones for the DWF delivery push. 

Installation and testing of automated P2 loading and UAV charging infrastructure in Walmart outlets will be carried out, it said, ahead of live trials later this year aiming at service launch thereafter.

“Our team has spent millions of hours developing our next generation technology,” said Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton. “By the time we conduct a pilot with Walmart later this year, we’ll have completed extensive testing and tens of thousands of practice deliveries… Over time, we plan to serve millions of Dallas residents with thousands of quiet, fast, precise Zipline deliveries every day. It will feel like teleportation.”

Wing was also beaming up its share of excitement over Walmart’s move to scale drone delivery in DFW – a probable initial step toward ratcheting up existing and new activity across the US. Last year, the Google corporate cousin introduced its own new platform to improve its aerial services, which – similar to Zipline’s P2 strategy – involves installing docking nests around served towns that UAVs can use to recharge while out on missions. 

Both plans decentralize what thus far has been roundtrip operation of craft between hubs and client destinations. Instead, the nearest nesting drone to a retailer’s departure spot will respond to the delivery call, cutting time required to reach and transport orders to customer homes.

“We believe 2024 will be the year of drone delivery – and our growing service with Walmart is a huge step forward,” said Wing CEO Adam Woodworth. “Wing and Walmart are expanding service to millions of customers, leveraging Wing’s airspace approvals that facilitate service across the Dallas-Fort Worth community. (We) will launch our newest drone delivery locations in the coming months and plan to complete the expansion within the year.”