The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a new rule that would allow companies to fly drones outside of an operator’s line of sight and therefore over longer distances, making it easier for them to offer more drone deliveries, reported The Associated Press.
“A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. households,” wrote the outlet.
Walmart works with drone company Wing to provide drone deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, Walmart reportedly expects to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Houston; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida.
Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries it has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
“After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilot’s line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expanded its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City,” AP wrote.
Drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wing says its drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds and travel up to 12 miles round trip. One pilot can reportedly oversee up to 32 drones.
Right now, it costs around $13.50 per delivery to carry a package by drone versus $2 for a traditional vehicle, Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, said. Drones also need well-trained employees to oversee them.
Earlier this year, Wing said it aims to make drone delivery an established part of the delivery ecosystem and available to customers nationwide by 2035.