Autonomous drone delivery is finally scaling in the US. Wing said this week that it is now running the country's largest residential drone delivery network and making "thousands of deliveries to homes each day," five weeks after opening Central Florida with Walmart. Amazon is answering with a sixfold Prime Air expansion targeting nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of 2026.
Wing's five-metro sprint
The Alphabet subsidiary now flies in Dallas-Fort Worth, metro Atlanta, Greater Houston, Charlotte and — since July — Central Florida, largely through its Walmart partnership. Wing's fixed-wing hybrid drones deliver from micro-hubs inside Walmart parking lots, cutting last-mile delivery windows to as little as 15 minutes for eligible items and enabling drops directly into customer backyards.
Amazon Prime Air's sixfold jump
Amazon says it will scale Prime Air from a handful of markets to nearly 500 US cities and towns by year-end, exiting a multi-year phase of regulatory back-and-forth over its MK30 airframe. The retailer has already secured FAA Part 135 operating authority and is investing in beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) infrastructure to support the ramp.
Zipline, DoorDash keep the pressure on
Zipline crossed 2 million commercial deliveries in January and this week added an Uber partnership, giving the fast-food and grocery categories a new pipeline. DoorDash recently received federal approval to operate its own commercial drone delivery network, meaning by end of 2026 the US could have at least four national-scale drone delivery brands running simultaneously — a first for any market.
Related: Carbon Robotics Autonomy Ready program.
Reporting based on coverage from DroneXL, Wing and Amazon.