DoorDash Air drone delivery program gets FAA clearance
DoorDash says FAA Part 135 approval lets it launch DoorDash Air and build its own drones for small-package deliveries.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
DoorDash said it is launching DoorDash Air drone delivery after receiving Federal Aviation Administration approval to carry small packages by drone. The move matters because the largest food delivery app in the U.S. is shifting from drone delivery trials with partners toward building an in-house aircraft and the ground systems needed to use it.
DoorDash said the FAA granted it Part 135 air carrier certification, a designation the company said clears the way for drone deliveries in the near future. Alphabet’s Wing, Zipline and Amazon have also received that kind of approval, according to DoorDash.
What is DoorDash Air drone delivery?
DoorDash Air is the company’s new drone delivery program for local commerce, including food orders and other small packages. DoorDash said its aircraft will be designed for food delivery and built inside DoorDash Labs, the division that includes its robotics and AI teams.
A Part 135 certificate is an FAA air carrier approval that allows certain commercial air operations. DoorDash said its certification enables drone delivery of small packages, though the company has not yet named the first markets where DoorDash Air will operate.
DoorDash plans to build drones and ground systems
DoorDash said it will deploy its own drones rather than relying only on outside aircraft providers. The company said the drone will be designed and assembled by DoorDash, with most components made in the U.S.
The company has previously worked with Alphabet’s Wing on drone delivery pilots in Dallas-Fort Worth, Virginia and Australia, according to The Verge. DoorDash said its new aircraft will complement partner designs that are aimed at other delivery ranges.
DoorDash also said it plans to build the ground infrastructure that restaurants and merchants would need to hand orders to drones. That includes the systems for pickup, flight planning, airspace management and drop-off logistics that let operators track drones and manage deliveries.
The company said its work on physical handoff systems could cover sites such as drive-throughs, rooftops and merchant back doors. DoorDash framed that ground-level integration as central to making drone delivery usable for local businesses.
Why DoorDash says drones could help deliveries
DoorDash said drones could address midrange trips that take longer when couriers are harder to match to an order. More than 20 percent of DoorDash orders cover three to five miles, and those orders take nearly 25 percent longer on average than shorter deliveries, largely because it takes more time to find a courier, the company said.
DoorDash said routing those midrange orders to drones could leave human Dashers with shorter trips near clusters of merchants. The company said that setup could help couriers get to new orders faster.
DoorDash did not say when DoorDash Air will begin service or which cities will be first. The company said it will share more details in the coming months.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.