Uber’s Drone Delivery Bet: 1 Million Daily Trips by 2029

Ambitious commitments by DoorDash and now Uber could reshape low-altitude airspace.

Jack Daleo

Monday, August 17, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Uber and Zipline are the latest drone delivery partners seeking to scale operations nationwide. [Credit: Zipline]

Key Takeaways:

Uber is partnering with drone operator Zipline and making a strategic investment to launch rapid drone delivery services, targeting 1 million daily deliveries by 2029, with initial deployments in major U.S. cities this year.
This collaboration is part of a wider industry trend where major delivery platforms, including Walmart, Amazon, and DoorDash, are aggressively adopting drones to slash delivery times and reshape low-altitude airspace.
Zipline's P2 drones are capable of 5-10 minute deliveries for up to 8 pounds of cargo, utilizing a tether system to lower orders from up to 300 feet.
The widespread scaling of drone delivery is largely contingent on the FAA finalizing Part 108, a regulation crucial for enabling routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, despite ongoing safety concerns from pilots.

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App- and web-based delivery platforms from Walmart, Amazon, DoorDash, and now Uber are embracing small drones to slash trip times in a trend that could reshape low-altitude U.S. airspace.

Uber on Monday announced it is partnering with drone manufacturer and operator Zipline, which is also a partner of Walmart and competitor Wonder, the parent company of Grubhub. By the end of 2029, Uber and Zipline hope to achieve a cadence of 1 million daily drone deliveries, with “goals to expand far beyond that.”