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. 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)
