This week, Uber Eats announced that it will partner with Israeli drone company Flytrex to launch a pilot drone food delivery service in the United States. Flytrex is currently a partner of retail and food delivery platforms such as Walmart and DoorDash, and has obtained a "beyond visual line of sight" (BVLOS) license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing it to operate when the drone pilot cannot directly see the equipment.
According to statements from both parties, users can receive their meals in just a few minutes after placing an order in the pilot area. Drone food delivery not only improves delivery speed, but also helps alleviate traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions. The two companies said that Uber will also invest in Flytrex this time to accelerate the application and expansion of drone delivery technology in the United States.
Sarfraz Maredia, President of Uber Eats, said: "Automation technology is changing the transportation and delivery fields at an unprecedented speed. This time, we are opening a new chapter with Flytrex, bringing the speed and sustainability of drone delivery to the Uber Eats platform on a large scale for the first time."
In fact, Uber is no stranger to drone food delivery. As early as 2018, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi proposed the idea of launching drone delivery by 2021. In 2020, Uber cooperated with McDonald's through the Uber Elevate project to conduct tests in San Diego and other places, but due to regulatory and strategic changes, the plan was not fully rolled out. The company's self-developed vertical take-off and landing drone will be capable of delivering meals for two, but the follow-up status of the related project has not been clearly stated.
In recent years, as the FAA has gradually relaxed its commercial drone policies, more companies have tried drone delivery. Flytrex has completed more than 200,000 deliveries in North Carolina, Texas and other places, and Uber hopes to use this pilot to return to the "air logistics" field.
At present, the specific opening time and location of the pilot service have not been announced. Industry analysts believe that if drone delivery proceeds smoothly, it is expected to significantly shorten the delivery time and provide more possibilities for industry innovation.