DoorDash Launches Drone Delivery Service Following FAA Certification

DoorDash has officially launched its drone delivery initiative, DoorDash Air, following approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate commercial drone deliveries in the United States, Andrew Nusca reported for Fortune Tech.

DoorDash Air is preparing its drones for commercial delivery following FAA certification in the United States. [Photo: ajay_suresh Flickr]

The certification places DoorDash alongside companies such as Alphabet's Wing, Amazon Prime Air, UPS Flight Forward, and other FAA-approved commercial drone operators.

Like other delivery platforms, DoorDash aims to reduce reliance on human couriers for certain low-margin orders, shorten delivery times for medium-distance deliveries, and expand its logistics network.

The company currently partners with Wing and Flytrex in several metropolitan areas.

"Drone delivery means consumers can have what they need when they need it most, whether that's essentials like cold medicine or time-sensitive items like a coffee or hot meal to a nurse finishing a 12-hour shift," DoorDash said in a company blog post.

The drone delivery platform, including software that determines which orders can safely be transported by drone, was developed by DoorDash Labs, the company's autonomous systems and robotics division.