DoorDash Unveils In-House Drone Delivery Service Called DoorDash Air
Food and grocery delivery platform DoorDash has announced DoorDash Air, an in-house drone delivery business developed by its robotics and autonomy research team. The launch follows the receipt of a Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. While the company has not provided a specific timeline for commercial deployment, it plans to target mid-range orders to improve delivery efficiency.
Key points
- DoorDash, a major food and grocery delivery company, created an in-house drone delivery initiative named DoorDash Air through its DoorDash Labs research and development division.
- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted the company a Part 135 air carrier certification, making it one of eight operators to secure this commercial designation alongside rivals like Amazon and Wing.
- Harrison Shih, head of DoorDash Air, stated that the company is building a full-stack system encompassing ground infrastructure, handoff mechanisms, and custom-built unmanned aircraft.
- DoorDash reported that over 20 percent of its orders last year involved trips spanning three to five miles, which took roughly 25 percent longer to complete than shorter deliveries.
- The company will initiate limited pilot programs for short-distance flights within the operator's line of sight, while separate regulatory approval will be required for autonomous flights beyond visual line of sight.
Food and grocery delivery giant DoorDash has announced the creation of DoorDash Air, a proprietary drone delivery service developed entirely in-house by its DoorDash Labs robotics and autonomy team. The unveiling follows the receipt of a Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, positioning DoorDash as one of eight operators to hold this specific commercial designation alongside competitors such as Amazon's Prime Air, Alphabet's Wing, and Flytrex.
According to Harrison Shih, head of DoorDash Air, the division has built a comprehensive operational stack that includes the physical aircraft, ground infrastructure, and seamless handoff systems designed to integrate with the primary DoorDash merchant application. Although the company did not disclose a concrete timeline for full commercial rollout, initial deployment is expected to begin with limited pilot programs featuring short-distance flights within the direct line of sight of operators. Long-range, fully autonomous operations will require additional regulatory clearances from the FAA for Beyond Visual Line of Sight technology.
DoorDash noted that more than 20 percent of its orders last year involved distances between three and five miles, which routinely required nearly 25 percent more time to fulfill due to routing and driver availability challenges. Executives argue that transitioning these mid-range deliveries to unmanned aerial vehicles will alleviate bottlenecks for human couriers. Despite establishing its own proprietary fleet, DoorDash confirmed that it intends to maintain existing partnerships with external drone providers like Wing and Flytrex.
Sources
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