Whoppers on choppers: Deliveroo launches first drone-delivery service
Deliveroo has announced the rollout of a drone-delivery service for takeaways, with early test flights to be carried out in Ireland.
Launching in Blanchardstown, Dublin, initial flights will be used to see how effective the drones are in delivering food, with the ultimate aim to expand the service across the UK and Ireland.
“We have been serving up authentic sushi for years but never thought we’d see it in the sky, delivered to peoples’ doorsteps by drone,” Bill Lang, owner of local restaurant Musashi, said.
The service will be powered by global drone delivery operator Manna, which has already completed over 170,000 delivery flights in the Dublin 15 area.
The first few weeks of flights in the 3km Dublin 15 area – which includes Clonsilla, Corduff, and Blanchardstown – will be used to assess whether drones can bypass road traffic and cover longer distances in a short space of time.
Each drone will be equipped with safety features including backup systems and a parachute.
If successful, Deliveroo will expand the service to other markets – something the online marketplace said it was “excited by”.
The UK government has already backed airborne deliveries: it recently invested £20m in advancing commercial drone operations as it looks to create an “advanced aviation ecosystem”.
Amazon has also announced plans to send prime deliveries by drone, although it chose Darlington as its test site.
“Air delivery is fast, clean, and safe, offering a new avenue for local businesses to reach more consumers,” Bobby Healy, CEO and Founder of Manna Air Delivery said.
Healy added that he was proud to “bring the innovative service” to customers.
While Deliveroo said the flights would “complement” its existing driver network, there will be concerns that the service will affect hiring at the online marketplace.
Deliveroo works with around 2,000 self-employed riders in Ireland and over 50,000 in the UK.