In the realm of innovation and logistics, Amazon continues to push boundaries by expanding its drone delivery service to the UK and Italy, while others strive to ascend to new heights in ultra-fast shipping.
Jeff Bezos, renowned for his penchant for surprises, wowed the world back in 2013 with an audacious promise: to part with half of his fortune if a television crew could predict Amazon’s latest innovation. Their incredulous response unfolded as they laid eyes on autonomous delivery drones.
In a televised interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Bezos, a self-proclaimed optimist, conveyed his vision, suggesting that drone delivery could become a reality by 2017 or 2018. However, a decade later, this vision has remained largely unrealized, except in a few select regions worldwide.
This week, Amazon announced a significant leap by extending its drone delivery service to the UK and Italy, bolstering its presence in the United States. The retail giant is among those steadfast in their belief that a breakthrough in drone delivery is on the horizon.
While progress has been gradual, companies have been quick to highlight the scale of their small-scale drone programs. Walmart, a retail titan, claims to have achieved over 10,000 drone-based deliveries since initially setting its sights on the skies two years ago. They celebrated this achievement by dropping a massive Oreo cookie into a 6-foot cup of milk, a nod to the popular items delivered by Walmart drones.
Amazon asserts that its Prime Air service has successfully delivered “thousands” of packages, and it now plans to expand the program beyond the United States for the first time, with intentions to launch in the UK and Italy by the close of the next year.
Andreas Raptopoulos, founder and CEO of Matternet, a prominent player in this burgeoning industry, envisions that “over the next couple of years, we will see drone delivery networks really starting to happen.”
Several companies, from Alphabet, Google’s parent company, to the multibillion-dollar drone startup Zipline, are racing to demonstrate that drones are the future of light-item delivery, encompassing products ranging from toothbrushes and takeout food to medicine and toys. Alphabet’s Wing venture, which has been operational in Australia for several years and holds a partnership with Walmart, claims to have accomplished no less than 350,000 commercial drone deliveries. Zipline, initially focusing on Africa, reports nearly 800,000 successful drone deliveries.
While these programs have mostly been strategically placed in less densely populated areas, the promise of ultra-fast shipping has taken longer than anticipated to materialize.
For instance, if Amazon’s plan to commence autonomous aircraft deliveries in the UK by the end of 2024 comes to fruition, it will have been eight years since the company’s announcement of its first commercial drone delivery in Cambridge, a development that once generated immense excitement. Subsequently, the UK arm of Amazon’s Prime Air service was reported to have scaled back in 2021.
Nonetheless, those championing the drone delivery sector remain optimistic about its ascent. Raptopoulos foresees fleets of small drones making deliveries across locations such as Mountain View, California, in the coming decade, if not sooner.
This optimism is fueled by the belief that aviation regulators and policymakers are increasingly inclined to permit the expansion of commercial drone operations. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, for instance, aims to facilitate drone flights beyond the visual line of sight, a move that is expected to become commonplace by 2030. Similarly, the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently authorized multiple companies to operate drones beyond the visual line of sight, including UPS, which employs Matternet’s M2 aircraft for small package deliveries.
Furthermore, the appointment of Mike Whitaker, a seasoned aviation executive, as the head of the FAA, reflects the Biden administration’s recognition of the need to adapt the aviation system for drones and flying taxis. Whitaker affirmed the necessity to “build the aviation system of the future” during a Senate hearing, emphasizing the need to be forward-looking and responsive to future developments.
Regulators are clearly expediting their efforts. Raptopoulos, however, acknowledges that regulatory steps have taken longer than expected, although they have been progressing steadily. He anticipates that certain regulatory changes could fundamentally transform the economics of drone delivery, potentially allowing a single pilot to control multiple aircraft, enhancing the efficiency of these systems.
The ultimate challenge, however, remains instilling public confidence in the safety and reliability of these delivery drones. While noise concerns during drone flights have been mitigated, some customers still find them noisy.
Amazon, recognizing the significance of public acceptance, emphasizes the need for patience. David Carbon, who leads Prime Air, notes, “We’ve been at this for a while. We will move as fast, or as slow, as the communities and the environment allow us to.”
In the face of regulatory doubts and public skepticism, one fact remains undeniable: home delivery is here to stay, particularly in the post-Covid era. In the midst of this evolving landscape, the drone delivery sector endeavors to launch fleets into suburban skies. The question remains: is your neighborhood ready?