DoorDash launches in-house drone delivery program after FAA certification

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 US.

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.