Uber Partners With Zipline to Scale Drone Delivery Across US

August 18, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Uber Technologies has partnered with drone delivery company Zipline to expand autonomous deliveries across the US, with the companies targeting one million drone deliveries a day by the end of 2029.

The first deployments are expected to begin later this year, when selected Uber Eats customers will be able to receive orders delivered by Zipline’s autonomous drones within minutes.

Uber will also make a strategic investment in Zipline as part of the partnership, combining its delivery platform with Zipline’s autonomous aircraft and logistics infrastructure.

The companies said the partnership will initially focus on Uber Eats, with drones expected to deliver food and everyday goods in five to 10 minutes. The service will eventually be expanded to more consumers and hundreds of thousands of small businesses using Uber’s platform.

Zipline operates across four continents and has completed more than 2.7 million deliveries involving more than 20 million items, according to the company. Its autonomous aircraft have flown more than 135 million miles, while its network serves more than 5,000 hospitals.

The company said it makes a delivery approximately every 20 seconds across its global network.

Uber is seeking to build a delivery network that combines human couriers, sidewalk robots and drones, allowing it to match deliveries with different modes of transport depending on the order and location.

“Together, we’re shaping the future of delivery by creating a faster, more sustainable way for people to get what they need,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber.

Keller Cliffton, co-founder of Zipline, said the partnership would accelerate the adoption of autonomous delivery and help make drone deliveries part of everyday life.

The companies said drone delivery could reduce delivery times, costs and emissions compared with conventional delivery methods, while allowing items ranging from meals to household essentials to reach customers within minutes.

Source: FSX Business News