Uber to launch drone delivery with investment in Flytrex

Uber says drones are faster and less costly than regular deliveries. | Photo courtesy of Uber

Uber is taking its food delivery business to the skies.

The company on Thursday announced an investment in drone delivery service Flytrex that will allow Uber to begin making drone deliveries for the first time. It expects to start piloting the service in certain markets by the end of the year.

Once those markets are determined, Uber will work with restaurants and retailers to plan how they can implement drone delivery.

The company did not disclose the amount of its investment in Flytrex.

Drone delivery is part of the company’s plan to offer delivery in multiple modes, including cars and bikes as well as sidewalk robots. It said drones can provide faster delivery times and lower costs and are also more environmentally friendly. 

Flytrex is one of the leading drone delivery companies in the U.S., with more than 200,000 meals landed at suburban households over the past three years. It is one of four companies whose drones have been cleared by the FAA to fly outside the line of sight of remote operators. 

Uber rival DoorDash is also working on drone delivery via a partnership with Wing. That service is currently available in Christiansburg, Virginia, and Frisco, Texas.

Both companies have invested in automating some deliveries, which they say will help bring the cost down and grow demand for the service. 

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