DoorDash on Wednesday announced the launch of DoorDash Air, its in-house drone delivery program, after obtaining certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate commercial drone delivery services in the US.
The US’ largest delivery company expects to launch the service in the fall.
The company already has drone deliveries via partnerships with Alphabet’s Wing and Flytrex; DoorDash Air aims to make them faster and cheaper.
The company plans to capitalize on its software capabilities by developing the full drone delivery stack and has also been testing other delivery technologies.
The new venture builds on DoorDash’s earlier automation efforts, including Dot, its sidewalk delivery robot launched last year to serve areas such as Fremont, California, and Phoenix.
The expansion comes as the food delivery app reported double-digit revenue growth and higher orders in the first quarter.
According to co-founder Stanley Tang, DoorDash’s software needs to handle real-time coordination among human drivers, sidewalk bots, and drones to select the optimal dispatch method for each delivery automatically.
Analysts note that drone deliveries could significantly slash operating costs and bypass traffic congestion.