The Potential of Drone Deliveries in the US
According to Cathey, Walmart stores have over 150,000 items in a location. And over 50% of those items are eligible to be delivered by drones, making the potential for quick and efficient deliveries to consumers, while retaining a low price, a reachable ceiling.
Walmart is not the only company to invest heavily in drone deliveries. Amazon also has its own drone delivery service, Prime Air, although the service was temporarily suspended earlier this year due to a fault with the drone’s altitude sensor. Prime Air service has since resumed.
The potential for the industry is obvious, as consumers now naturally gravitate towards speedy and cheap delivery options. When speaking with logistics experts, Tech.co found that the biggest remaining block to full-scale drone operations is US legislation. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) only authorizes operations beyond visual line of sight, and on a case by case basis, with waivers.
