The Future Is Here: Drone Deliveries Set to Take Off Across the U.S. 

A proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rule could soon transform how Americans receive packages, allowing delivery drones to fly beyond an operator’s line of sight and cover greater distances. This change promises to bring drone delivery to millions more U.S. homes, moving beyond the limited suburban and rural trials seen since the FAA first approved commercial drone deliveries over six years ago. Companies like Walmart, Amazon, and DoorDash are poised to capitalize on this shift, with plans to expand services across major cities, delivering everything from ice cream to eggs faster than traditional methods.

Walmart, partnered with Alphabet’s Wing, currently operates drone deliveries from 18 stores in Dallas and plans to expand to 100 stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa by next summer. Amazon’s Prime Air, launched in College Station, Texas, in 2022, recently gained FAA approval for autonomous drones and is expanding to suburban Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, and Kansas City. DoorDash, collaborating with Wing and Israel-based Flytrex, has tested drone deliveries in Virginia and Dallas, with Charlotte next on the list. “It comes so fast and it’s something flying into your neighborhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life,” said Harrison Shih, who leads DoorDash’s drone program, reflecting on its normalization in Brisbane, Australia.

The technology, pioneered globally by companies like Zipline, which began hospital deliveries in Rwanda in 2016, and Flytrex, which launched in Iceland in 2017, has been slow to scale in the U.S. due to regulatory hurdles. “You want to be at the right moment where there’s an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness and the regulatory readiness,” said Wing CEO Adam Woodworth. “I think that we’re reaching that planetary alignment right now.”

Drones like Wing’s, which carry up to 2.5 pounds over 12 miles, or Zipline’s, handling 4 pounds over 120 miles, deliver one order at a time, with pilots overseeing multiple drones. Walmart’s top drone-delivered items since 2021 include ice cream, eggs, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. However, challenges persist: drone deliveries cost about $13.50 per trip compared to $2 for traditional vehicles, and weather or mid-air collisions pose risks. “Drones need well-trained employees to oversee them and can have a hard time in certain weather,” noted Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor researching drone logistics.

Public reception is mixed. In Frisco, Texas, restaurant owner John Kim reported a 15% increase in DoorDash orders since offering drone delivery, noting, “It’s very stable, maybe even better than some of the drivers that toss it in the back with all the other orders.” Yet, some College Station residents raised privacy concerns over drones with cameras, and others described their noise as “a giant nagging mosquito.” Amazon has since introduced quieter models. Meanwhile, enthusiasts like Janet Toth of Frisco, who orders via drone monthly, said her daughter Julep loves the spectacle: “I love to go outside, wave at the drone, say ‘Thank you’ and get the food.”

As the FAA’s proposed rule paves the way for broader adoption, drones could enhance access to goods in rural areas and reduce emissions, though they’re unlikely to replace human drivers for heavier loads like 24-packs of water, per Shih. With safety and reliability at the forefront, Woodworth emphasized, “That’s why it takes so long to build a business in the space. But I think it leads to everybody fundamentally building higher quality things.”