Transport Minister Simon Bridges has welcomed the announcement.
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“We are working with Flirtey to ensure quality is a priority during the trials and are confident that customers will be excited by a drone delivering their pizzas from the store to their door”.
“Domino’s and Flirtey have chosen New Zealand for the trial because our forward-thinking aviation regulations encourage innovation, while protecting safety”.
Flirtey’s technology allowed the pizza to be delivered safely, while still retaining its temperature.
Domino’s is also looking at opportunities for drone delivery trials in its six other markets – Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany.
The Domino’s Robotic Unit (DRU) drone.
The pizza giant will use US-based drone startup Flirtey’s aircraft for the trial, which will launch some time in the coming months. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released new rules in June regarding drone weight, speed, etc., which has nearly completely abolished any hopes of companies wanting to deliver by air in the country.
Domino’s will be able to fly pizza deliveries later this year if its application to carry out operation is approved, she said.
A Flirtey drone lowers a pizza box from the skies above Auckland, New Zealand. Instead, the cargo is tethered to the drone, which is made of carbon fiber, aluminum, and 3D-printed components. It’s a lightweight contraption with autonomous operation. It lowers its cargo via tether and has built- in safety features such as low battery return to safe location and auto-return home in case of low Global Positioning System signal or communication loss. The service is not yet operational, but Amazon is confident that it will become used worldwide.
Meiji says the use of drones as a delivery method is created to work alongside Domino’s current delivery fleet and will be fully integrated into online ordering and GPS systems.
Flirtey’s staff help Domino’s workers safely load the delivery drones at the store.
The company is hoping the use of drones will allow it to reach customers who live in more rural areas that are too far for delivery drivers to get to.
Delivery drones hold the potential to one day completely overhaul the way we move all kinds of things, but right now a lot of people want answers to more simple queries, such as how quickly can they bring me a textbook, burrito or a pizza? Under current New Zealand CAA rules, drones can not be operated at night, they must remain in clear sight of the pilot, and they can not have a total weight of more than 25kg.
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In the United States, drones will be allowed to make deliveries from August 29, but not across state lines or over people.
