As drone delivery technology matures and regulatory barriers loosen, third-party logistics platforms are quickly emerging as the most aggressive adopters of airborne last-mile delivery.
Companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats are increasingly outpacing major retailers in operational deployments, offering a glimpse into the near future of urban logistics.
DoorDash Leads U.S. Expansion with Wing
DoorDash’s collaboration with Wing, the drone subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet, has moved from experimentation to active service.
Following successful test programs in Australia and Virginia, the partnership expanded in May 2025 to Charlotte, North Carolina. Residents near The Arboretum Shopping Center can now opt for drone delivery through the DoorDash app, with restaurant meals and convenience items dispatched via lightweight, autonomous aircraft capable of completing trips in under 15 minutes.
Wing’s delivery network utilizes drones that cruise at speeds up to 65 mph and hover to lower packages by tether. This infrastructure allows DoorDash to offer high-speed service without significantly altering its app interface or user workflows.
The Charlotte launch signals a broader strategic shift for DoorDash, as it eyes additional U.S. cities for similar rollouts later this year. According to Wing, the system is designed for scalability, operating across multiple retailers and neighborhoods from a shared platform.
Uber Eats Eyes Autonomous Avenues
While not yet as far along as DoorDash in drone deployment, Uber Eats has shown clear intent to integrate autonomous technologies—including drones—into its delivery matrix. The company has invested in a broader ecosystem of robotic solutions, piloting partnerships with drone developers as well as self-driving vehicle companies.
Uber’s approach focuses on combining drone deliveries with ground-based automation, particularly in high-density urban environments where delivery times and costs remain significant friction points.
Although Uber’s drone initiatives remain largely in developmental phases, their inclusion in the company’s long-term strategy reflects the increasing viability of aerial logistics.
Retailers Recalibrate After Early Investments
In contrast to the nimbleness of third-party platforms, major retailers have adopted a more measured approach—often tempered by operational and financial realities.
Amazon’s Prime Air program continues to lead in technological capability, with the MK30 drone model now capable of delivering packages up to five pounds in light rain.
In April 2025, the FAA granted Amazon new operational permissions, including the ability to transport products containing lithium-ion batteries. Still, Prime Air is limited in scale, currently active only in parts of Arizona and Texas, and subject to ongoing FAA oversight.
Walmart, once hailed as a drone delivery pioneer, has undergone a recent strategic reset. After piloting services through partnerships with DroneUp and Zipline, the company abruptly ended its relationship with DroneUp in early 2025.
Nevertheless, Walmart has maintained relationships with other drone providers, including Zipline and Wing, and continues to test drone delivery from stores in Texas and Florida.
Its service footprint now includes over 1.8 million homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, making it the largest single-market rollout by a U.S. retailer to date. Still, future growth is likely to proceed cautiously.
Target, meanwhile, has expanded drone delivery services via Wing in 50 metropolitan areas, focusing on small household items and over-the-counter medications. Its model resembles DoorDash’s in agility, but its rollout has been quieter and more targeted.
Regulatory Landscape and Competitive Outlook
Underlying these developments is a changing regulatory environment. The FAA’s 2024 decision to allow beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations for multiple commercial drone operators in the same airspace has catalyzed expansion, particularly in states like Texas and North Carolina.
Companies like DoorDash, Wing, and Zipline have directly benefited from this shift, enabling faster service launches and denser delivery networks.
What emerges is a tale of two strategies.
Third-party platforms are rapidly iterating, forming flexible partnerships and launching services in targeted urban zones. Retailers, with more complex logistics chains and narrower profit margins, are testing drone technology’s value proposition more cautiously.
As drone technology continues to mature and autonomy systems become more robust, it is likely that third-party delivery companies—unencumbered by legacy supply chains—will remain at the forefront of drone logistics innovation.
For now, they are the ones pushing the ceiling of what airborne delivery can achieve.
