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Wing teams up with FedEx, Walgreen for milestone drone delivery

[Photo Credit: FedEx]

FedEx Express [NYSE: FDX] on Friday used an unmanned aerial vehicle instead of a truck for last-mile residential deliveries on behalf of pharmacy retailer Walgreens. The Oct. 18 deliveries were made by Wing, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, in Christianburg, Virginia, under a pilot program authorized by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The shipments of over-the-counter medications, snacks and gifts mark the launch of the first scheduled, on-demand, commercial residential drone delivery service in the United States, Wing announced in a Medium post

Customers in eligible delivery zones can submit drone orders from Walgreens via the Wing mobile app or can opt-in with FedEx to receive qualifying packages via drone. FedEx packages are loaded at Wing’s facility. The drone is authorized to reach a cruising height of 150 feet and can make deliveries in a matter of minutes. Once at the customer’s home, the drone slows down, hovers, descends to 23 above ground, and then lowers a tether and automatically releases the package before climbing back to cruise height and returning to base.

Wing received an expanded air carrier certificate from the FAA earlier this year so it could demonstrate safe commercial operation in the larger Blacksburg-Roanoke area. 


“We hope that this latest addition to our delivery options will enhance the last-mile service for urgent, same-day deliveries, customers in rural or semi-rural areas, and other exceptional delivery needs,” Don Colleran, CEO of FedEx Express said in a statement about the trial.

Wing’s aircraft are designed to deliver packages that weight about 3.3 pounds or less. The company’s unmanned traffic management system plans the route, making sure to avoid obstacles and meet regulatory requirements. Once planned, the software indicates to the aircraft that is safe to fly to the delivery location and will intervene if any problem is detected. Trained pilots monitor operations to make sure the system operates smoothly, according to Wing.

Use of drones for real-world commercial deliveries is rapidly nearing reality. Last month, UPS [NYSE: UPS] received FAA certification to operate unlimited drone operations. The UPS green light was based on trials with drone maker Matternet, which involved shuttling drugs and medical supplies to hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina.

FAA policy has evolved to the point that commercial operators are essentially treated as airlines rather than simply a single pilot of an unmanned aerial system.


Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, he was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]