Uber has announced a new partnership with drone company Flytrex to launch drone delivery services by the end of this year in select Uber Eats pilot markets in the United States. Uber will leverage Flytrex's advanced autonomous drone technology with its own delivery platform to offer faster and more efficient food delivery.
Sarfraz Maredia, President of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber, said in a press release:
“Autonomous technology is transforming mobility and delivery faster than ever before. With Flytrex, we’re entering the next chapter—bringing the speed and sustainability of drone delivery to the Uber Eats platform, at scale, for the first time. Together, we’ll reshape how food, convenience items, and other essentials move through cities.”
The launch will begin in limited pilot markets where Uber Eats already operates, and aims to improve delivery times by bypassing traditional road traffic and other delays.
Noam Bardin, Executive Chairman of Flytrex, said:
“The promise of autonomous vehicles is here, redefining logistics on the ground and in the air. Autonomous drones are the future of food delivery—fast, affordable, and hands-free. Flytrex has already delivered over 200,000 meals to suburban households in the past three years. Partnering with Uber—pioneers of ground-based mobility—brings together proven logistics expertise with aerial innovation. Together, we’re building the infrastructure for a future where autonomous systems seamlessly move goods through our communities, making faster, safer, and more sustainable delivery the new standard.”
Flyrtex is a leading drone delivery company that is known for its FAA-approved operations, including authorization for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, which allows drones to be operated remotely without direct human sight, which is a key factor in enabling scalable drone delivery networks.
Flytrex has already focused on suburban markets in states like Texas and North Carolina, completing over 200,000 deliveries. Their drone system lowers packages safely and quickly, making the service attractive for on-demand food delivery, especially in areas prone to road congestion.
Uber is also exploring other autonomous deliveries, such as its partnership with Nuro for ground robots. In the U.S., many other players, such as Project Wing (by Alphabet), SkyDrop, and Zipline, operate commercial drone deliveries as well.
Image via DepositPhotos.com
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