Uber Eats Drone Delivery is set to become a reality after Uber announced a major partnership with drone delivery company Zipline.
Under the agreement, food ordered through Uber Eats, including pizzas, burgers and other items, will be delivered by drones instead of traditional road transport in selected US cities.
The companies say this is the largest drone partnership in the US food delivery sector and plan to expand the service over the next few years.
Uber Eats Drone Delivery
The new drone delivery service will first launch in Dallas and Houston, where Zipline already operates its drone network.
According to the companies, customers in these two cities are expected to get access to the service by the end of this year.
After the initial rollout, Uber and Zipline plan to expand drone deliveries to dozens of other cities across the United States.
Faster Delivery Times
Uber says customers currently receive food orders in about 30 minutes on average.
With Zipline’s drone technology, the companies expect delivery times to drop to between five and ten minutes.
The drones are designed to deliver orders directly to locations such as rooftops or balconies, reducing travel time significantly.
Expansion Plans Through 2029
Uber and Zipline have set an ambitious target of completing one million drone deliveries every day by the end of 2029.
If achieved, that would translate to more than 365 million drone deliveries annually, making drone-based food delivery a much more common part of everyday life.
Uber has also made a strategic investment in Zipline as part of the partnership, although the financial details have not been disclosed.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said quick commerce is becoming even bigger than the original food delivery market, and the partnership could support the next phase of growth for Uber Eats.
Zipline's Existing Network
Zipline already operates across four continents and has completed around 2.7 million deliveries involving more than 20 million items.
The company says it completes one delivery every 20 seconds and serves more than 5,000 hospitals through its delivery network, highlighting the scale of its operations before entering wider food delivery services.
Competition Is Growing
Uber is not the only company investing in drone deliveries.
DoorDash is also developing its drone delivery programme and has recently received the required certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Amazon and Walmart already provide drone delivery services in selected markets.
