DoorDash is launching an in-house drone delivery program, DoorDash Air, giving customer retailers another shipping option to compete with industry incumbents in the market including Walmart and Amazon.

The same-day delivery company got the necessary go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make commercial deliveries via its own drone technology, becoming the eighth U.S. drone operator to receive a Part 135 air carrier certificate.

Part 135 authorizes DoorDash to fly beyond the visual line of sight of the drones’ operator as long as they fly under 400 feet off the ground.

Previously, DoorDash has experimented with drone delivery in select markets since 2022 through partnerships with drone operators such as Google’s Wing and Flytrex.

With the certification, DoorDash will manufacture the drones via its robotics and automation arm, DoorDash Labs. The firm has not disclosed how many drones it has made so far, but said it will announce later this year when the aircraft will start delivering customer orders.

“We want drone delivery to work for any merchant, anywhere. We’re building the full stack to make that possible from the ground infrastructure to the drone itself, and the handoff systems that make it work together seamlessly,” said Harrison Shih, head of DoorDash Air., in a statement. “Advances in hardware, compute, and AI are creating extraordinary new capabilities for local commerce, and becoming a certified air carrier accelerates everything we’re building.”

DoorDash acknowledged that it wants to fill a need for midrange deliveries. While more than 20 percent of orders on its platform in 2025 traveled three to five miles, those orders took on average nearly 25 percent longer than shorter deliveries.

Known mostly for delivering food via a network of independent drivers, the company has made a significant push into apparel as part of its wider growth strategy.

In 2026, DoorDash added retailers including Urban Outfitters, Steve Madden, Dolce Vita and Hibbett to its apparel marketplace. The companies joined a slew of businesses including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Pacsun, Academy Sports + Outdoors, David’s Bridal and JD Sports that can ship parcels same day from their stores.

DoorDash has experimented with other new methods of delivery, last year rolling out its own autonomous delivery robot called Dot, which fulfills orders in the Phoenix area and Fremont, Calif.

Powering both Dot and the new drones is the company’s intelligence layer, an end-to-end autonomous delivery platform designed to handle routing and order fulfillment in real time. The system us built to dynamically match every order that DoorDash fulfills with the most efficient and effective delivery method.

Walmart, Amazon expand to new drone markets

DoorDash’s announcement overshadowed concurrent drone expansions from both Walmart and Amazon.

Walmart is bringing the airborne delivery service back to Florida after a near-two-year hiatus.

In partnership with Wing, the retail giant will now ship goods via drone in as fast as 30 minutes from two Orlando-area stores in Apopka and Clermont, Fla.

Over 5,000 residential buildings and businesses will have access to the service, before it expands to areas around another store in Clermont, and locations in Ocoee and Haines City.

“At Walmart, we’re always looking for new ways to give customers more choice and flexibility,” said Greg Cathey, senior vice president, e-commerce fulfillment transformation at Walmart. “Working with Wing allows us to bring Orlando customers a wide assortment of everyday items through one of the fastest and most innovative delivery options available.”

Wing’s drones in Florida can transport up to 2.5 pounds per flight currently, but the company plans to increase the maximum weight to five pounds. The drones can fly up to 60 miles per hour at a height of 150 to 200 feet. Upon arrival at a destination, the drone uses a tether to lower packages to the ground.

The launch marks Walmart’s return to Florida after it left the state when its previous partnership with DroneUp ended in late 2024. At the time, Walmart had operated in Tampa

“We measure success in minutes saved and life made a little easier in Central Florida,” said Heather Rivera, Wing’s chief business officer. “Whether it’s helping a family grab a quick lunch without loading everyone into the car, or delivering sunscreen to a visitor at their vacation rental, we want drone delivery to be a simple, seamless part of daily routines.”

Walmart expects to expand its partnership with Wing to 270 stores across the U.S. by 2027, which would cover the ground of 40 million Americans.

Amazon also unveiled it is bring drone delivery to Omaha, Neb., the 11^th market for the shipping option. Omaha residents within 7.5 miles of an Amazon fulfillment center in nearby Papillion are now able to have their purchases flown to their doorstep.

The e-commerce giant says customers will have their items delivered within two hours, although the company says most deliveries are completed in under 20 minutes. The service is available for millions of items and costs $2.99 for Amazon Prime members and $4.99 for non-members.

Amazon’s fleet will consist of 12 drones, all of which are fully electric and approved by the FAA. The drones have a maximum carrying capacity of five pounds, fly at about 300 to 400 feet off the ground and can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.