Drone Delivery

Sweden has taken a step closer toward regular drone delivery operations with UAV services company Aerit wrapping up a large-scale pilot project in partnership with Swedish supermarket chain ICA.

Nearly six months after they initially announced plans to launch new drone deliveries to an additional 4 million potential US households, Walmart and DroneUp this week initiated aerial services to eight cities in Texas – just in time for the run-up to Christmas.

Instant logistics and drone delivery specialist Zipline has announced a vast expansion of its operation across Rwanda – the country in which it launched an activity that has since spread across Africa and around the world.

Less than two weeks after Swoop Aero entered the third year of its healthcare and medical operation in Malawi, the Australian logistics and drone delivery specialist earned a grant from a US humanitarian group to scale that network across the southeastern African country.

Commercial delivery drone systems developer Matternet says it has begun trials on an aerial transport route in Switzerland connecting participating hospitals and labs in what it says will be the world’s longest urban network thus far.

Alphabet-owned drone delivery company Wing is lifting the veil on how it gets orders from retail and food company partners to clients faster than ground transport options with a peek into how its cutting-edge remote control centers function.

Ohio-based logistics company Drone Express is readying to manufacture a new version of its DE-2020 delivery drone, which would use Microsoft AI for in-flight navigation systems. “While our competitors are focusing on how to carry more weight, we are focusing on building a more intelligent aircraft,” quips Beth Flippo, CEO of Drone Express.

Japan Post, the archipelago nation’s mail company, has jumped on the easing of certain drone restrictions introduced only last week to announce its plans to prepare for aerial delivery of parcels starting next year.

Japan is relaxing its drone regulations from today to allow automated, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights over residential areas. The idea is to boost drone delivery services since the logistics industry is facing a serious shortage of drivers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted a production certificate to California-based Matternet for its M2 delivery drone. This makes Matternet the first and, at present, the only company able to produce certified delivery drones in the US.

Middle-mile drone delivery specialist Dronamics is revving up its push to prepare aerial transport services with an upcoming round of fundraising that has already received a $2.6 million head start grant from the European Commission’s European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program.

As indicated just last month, drone delivery specialist Wing has begun demonstration flights in a northern suburb of Dublin as a walk-up to full services it has planned next year for Ireland’s capital, and beyond.

Amazon is kicking its efforts to accelerate its aerial delivery activity hampered by repeated incidents into higher gear with the development of a new Prime Air drone due out in 2024 to offer quieter, robust, and safe performance.

Toronto-based drone logistics firm Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) has launched a new revenue-generating pilot project that aims to show the benefits of using drone technology for transporting medical supplies.

Middle-mile European drone delivery specialist Dronamics is joining forces with groundbreaking aviation tech developer Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) in an effort to perfect clean hydrogen fuel cells to power the company’s Black Swan cargo UAVs.

Drone delivery company Wing is moving to increase in a single swoop the potential number of food orders it transports by striking a new partnership with DoorDash in Australia.

Spright, the drone division of helicopter emergency medical services provider Air Methods, has entered into a partnership with Dufour Aerospace to expand its fleet of delivery drones with the addition of up to 140 Aero2 eVTOL aircraft.

Trailblazing instant logistics company Zipline — along with its government partners in Rwanda and Ghana – is being honored later this month by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) for its contributions to global aviation innovation by its medical drone delivery work in Africa. Zipline’s go-to-market director Daniel Blay talks to DroneDJ about being chosen to receive the David Morrison Innovation Award and the company’s broadening, diversifying UAV activities around the world.

Swiss drone manufacturer and services company RigiTech has continued pushing the boundaries of its activities by staging a long-distance beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) aerial delivery over Lake Geneva, linking two medical labs.

Wing continues to build on its drone delivery momentum in its Australia – its most vibrant market thus far – with the launch of what it calls the first store-to-home service in the Gold Coast area in partnership with supermarket chain Coles.

In the third and last installment of DroneDJ’s interview with Bobby Healy, the irrepressible Manna Aero CEO pivots from his plans to introduce drone delivery around Europe to discuss his strategy for launch in the potentially enormous US market. That involves certification of Manna’s proprietary UAVs; introduction and expansion of drone transport through widening suburban “cohorts of scale”; and raising the considerable capital that will require with, most likely, a Wall Street flotation. Should he get the company there, Manna might well have reached the solid, advanced state of growth to allow Healy to move on to his next challenge.