DoorDash launches in-house drone delivery program after FAA certification

July 29 (Reuters) – DoorDash on Wednesday launched its in-house drone-delivery program, DoorDash Air, after securing a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification to operate commercial drone deliveries in the U.S.

The move marks the food-delivery company’s push into autonomous delivery as it looks to reduce reliance on human couriers and expand its logistics network.

Here are the key details:

• The program was developed by DoorDash Labs, its robotics and autonomy unit, and will eventually be integrated into its delivery app, according to a TechCrunch report.

• DoorDash said it is building its own aircraft and broader drone infrastructure but did not provide a timeline for commercial deployment.

• The launch adds DoorDash to a growing field of drone-delivery operators that includes Amazon’s Prime Air, Alphabet-owned Wing and Zipline, which have been expanding commercial operations in recent years.

• The company will continue working with existing drone-delivery partners Wing and Flytrex even as it develops its own capabilities, the TechCrunch report added.

• DoorDash already operates a multi-modal delivery network that combines human couriers, its Dot sidewalk robots and autonomous delivery partners, with drones serving as an additional fulfillment option.

(Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)