We don’t have flying cars yet! But drone delivery is becoming a reality for 75% of the population in Dallas-Fort Worth. This development is a dream come true for those of us fascinated by the prospects of last-mile delivery innovations.
Ever since Jeff Bezos introduced the idea of drone delivery in 2013, the anticipation for drones to handle package deliveries directly to our front yards has been building. After a decade, this vision is materializing, marking a significant leap forward in ecommerce logistics.
The challenges of last-mile delivery are well-documented, from navigating traffic congestion and route planning to managing multiple drop-offs. Drone delivery emerges as an ingenious solution to these issues.
Amazon has been at the forefront of testing drone delivery for the past two years. Now, Walmart is joining the fray, partnering with Wing (a Google/Alphabet subsidiary) and Zipline to pilot drone delivery services in the Dallas area.1
Their pilot last year, which offered 30-minute grocery deliveries to 60,000 homes, was met with enthusiasm. With recent FAA approval for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, they can now deliver within a 10-mile radius from each store, effectively covering the entire metropolitan area.
This advancement is a significant milestone and signals the entry of more companies into the drone delivery space within the year.
The success of this rollout could revolutionize how we think about delivering goods, ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation.
I hope this rollout is wildly successful and will bring drone delivery soon to Austin, TX.
- Adam Woodworth, Wing and Walmart continue to expand service to millions of customers in Dallas-Fort Worth, amid new Dallas-wide FAA approvals ↩︎
About the Author
Jagath Narayan is the CEO and co-founder of Ordoro, the #1 ecommerce platform for retailers growing from 10 to 10,000 orders/day. Follow him on LinkedIn to learn more about entrepreneurship and ecommerce.
