Drone Delivery

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.

Imagine getting your favorite donuts delivered right to your doorstep, but not by a delivery driver – by a drone! Manna, a drone delivery startup with Irish roots, has teamed up with Offbeat Donuts to make this dream scenario a reality for Dublin residents.

Arrive AI, which makes smart mailbox platforms for drone and traditional delivery, has raised over $1.5 million in its latest crowdfunding effort. This is the third consecutive time the Indianapolis-based company’s crowdfunding campaign has brought in more than $1 million.

Commercial aerial logistics solutions provider A2Z Drone Delivery has unveiled an upgrade to its flagship RDSX Pelican delivery drone. Enhancements include a more adaptable flight controller, making it easier for customers to integrate their customized systems and software with the hybrid VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone. It is also an important step towards A2Z’s goal of manufacturing the Pelican in the United States.

In a bizarre turn of events in Clermont, Florida, a 72-year-old man was arrested after allegedly shooting at a Walmart delivery drone. “A bullet hole was discovered in the payload the drone was carrying,” the police said.

Arrive Technology, an Indianapolis-based drone delivery mailbox manufacturer formerly known as Dronedek, has announced its second rebrand in little over a year. The company is now called Arrive AI — a name that better reflects the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the autonomous last mile (ALM) industry.

Utah has embarked on an ambitious project to revolutionize air transportation in the state. Spearheaded by the innovative aerospace company 47G, in collaboration with the Utah Governor’s Office, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), the Utah Inland Port Authority, and various industry stakeholders, Project Alta (Air Logistics Transportation Alliance) seeks to establish an advanced air mobility (AAM) system throughout Utah by 2034.

Retail giant Walmart says it is bringing the drone delivery ordering experience directly to its shopping app later this month. Customers can order thousands of items ranging from baby wipes to birthday candles via drone delivery and receive them in 30 minutes or less. In some cases, deliveries can take place as fast as 10 minutes.

DJI’s FlyCart 30 made history by flying the first drone mission to a camp on Mount Everest, the company revealed. The test sparked a movement by Nepal to encompass more drones in delivering equipment and removing trash, saving lives.

Amazon has gotten big news from US regulators that should help the online marketplace finally take its drone deliveries to another level: approval to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights across its Prime Air networks.

Innovative Swedish drone delivery company Aerit is no more, having filed for bankruptcy after struggling to secure additional investment needed to continue operating.

The Smithsonian announced just before “May the Fourth” that it has added a Boeing Cargo Air Vehicle to its collection at the National Air and Space Museum. The drone, dressed up to look like a Star Wars X-Wing, was used to fly the first commercial operation of a “large eVTOL aircraft,” which took place at Disney World back in 2019.

Drone autopilot and component manufacturer Embention says it has entered into a strategic partnership with Amazon to support the Prime Air drone delivery initiative. More specifically, Embention will provide essential safety hardware and software for Prime Air drones.

Amazon is calling it quits on Prime Air services in one of the two cities where they launched their drone delivery program back in 2022. The news of the Lockeford, California, delivery site shutdown comes on the same day the company announced a new aerial initiative in Arizona’s West Valley area.

Autonomous drone delivery startup Zipline says it has made one million commercial deliveries to customers. It’s a feat that would have taken a human pilot 120 years of flying! In addition, the company has announced new partnerships with Panera Bread, Memorial Hermann Health System, and Jet’s Pizza starting in the greater Seattle, Houston, and Detroit metro areas respectively.

Commercial aerial logistics solutions provider A2Z Drone Delivery has released several new safety features for its popular smart drone winch RDS2. And alongside the software-enabled features, that can be accessed via a firmware update, the company is also releasing a new weatherproof cover for the winch as well as a new auto-releasing bag hook able to deposit packages without a recipient awaiting the delivery.

UK drone delivery and services startup Inteliports is looking to facilitate the movement of goods between the Isle of Wight and English mainland with proposed UAV services, starting with a six-month trial.

Swiss drone delivery company RigiTech has taken another step closer to its objective to unleashing scalable aerial solutions across the planet with its Eiger UAV receiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval as remote ID compliant in the US.