American retailer Walmart invests in drone delivery provider

DroneUp operates an on-demand drone delivery network that matches its database of more than 10,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified pilots to missions nationwide. Since partnering with DroneUp last year, Walmart has valued its technological expertise, world-class operations and experienced management team – and its commitment to helping the FAA ensure the highest levels of safety with every delivery, the retailer said in a media release.

DroneUp was the first operator to use the FAA 107.39 waiver, an operation that allows for delivery flights to be conducted over people and moving vehicles. DroneUp operates commercially throughout the US and is an authorised government drone services provider for 11 US states serving public sector organisations.

“Walmart already has a significant part of the infrastructure in place – 4,700 stores stocked with more than 100,000 of the most-purchased items, located within 10 miles of 90 per cent of the US population. This makes us uniquely positioned to execute drone deliveries, which is why our investment in DroneUp won’t just apply to the skies but also the ground. In the coming months we’ll be beginning our first operation at a store in Bentonville, Arkansas,” the release said.

In April, Walmart had announced a similar investment in Cruise, an all-electric autonomous vehicle company.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)