DoorDash has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate a commercial drone delivery service, the company announced on Wednesday. The certification, a Part 135 air carrier certificate, allows DoorDash to legally fly its own custom-built drones for deliveries.
The new business, called DoorDash Air, was developed by DoorDash Labs, the same research and development team behind the company's autonomous sidewalk delivery bot, Dot. DoorDash Air will eventually operate within the company's delivery app.
The company did not provide a detailed timeline for when its drones will be used in operations. It is expected to begin with limited pilot programmes in which the unmanned aircraft will travel short distances within the operator's line of sight. For longer autonomous flights, DoorDash will need FAA approval for Beyond Visual Line of Sight technology.
DoorDash is maintaining its existing partnerships with Alphabet's Wing and with Flytrex. The company first partnered with Wing in 2022 for a drone delivery programme in Australia, later expanding to US cities including Dallas-Fort Worth in 2024.