Drone delivery company Wing aviation, an offshoot of Google’s parent company Alphabet is launching its first public drone delivery service in Australia.
Wing has been testing drone delivery since last 18 months. It has successfully delivered food, small household items and OTC products by drones in a suburb on the fringes of Canberra. But it caused upset among locals, who complained about the noise of the drones although the drones were below legal noise limits.
Wing’s drones have a wingspan of about 3 feet and weigh around 11 pounds. Capable of carrying packages that weigh up to a little more than 3 pounds, these drones can fly up to 400 feet above the ground.
Wing recently got the country’s aviation authority CASA’s first go-ahead for drone deliveries in Australia’s capital city of Canberra
But the approval comes with certain restrictions, including a minimum altitude to maintain, only five drones at a time, restrictions against crossing over major roads and daytime operating hours only.
The drone delivery service will enable users to order items including fresh food, chocolates, ice creams and coffee using a mobile app.
Local chocolate maker Peter Channels, whose chocolates will be delivered by drone, said it was an opportunity to expand to a new market.
Wing estimated that they will be able to deliver 25 percent of all food delivery orders and as much as 6 percent of all purchases in the Canberra metropolitan area by 2030.
