Alphabet’s aviation subsidiary, Wing, is partnering with Walmart to launch drone deliveries from a Walmart Supercenter in Frisco, TX. The service will be available to homes within a six-mile radius of the supported stores, covering 60,000 homes. Residents in these areas can order items such as quick meals, groceries, essentials, and over-the-counter medicines. Wing’s drones are largely automated and can fly up to 65 mph, delivering items in under 30 minutes. The company plans to expand to a second location in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metro area by the end of the year.
Wing’s technology allows operators to oversee the drone system from a remote location, eliminating the need for pilots to be stationed at stores or customer homes. The aircraft fly themselves, enabling each operator to safely oversee multiple drones simultaneously. This partnership with Walmart follows Wing’s previous collaboration with Walgreens for drone deliveries in the DFW region. In 2022, Walmart’s own drone delivery service, DroneUp, covered around four million households in various states. However, the retailer recently laid off 418 DroneUp employees.
Residents living in the DFW metroplex can check their eligibility for Wing’s drone delivery service by installing the Wing Drone Delivery app from the App Store or Google Play. By creating an account and entering their address, users can determine if they are eligible for the service. Those who are not currently eligible will have the option to receive deliveries once new DFW neighborhoods are added to Wing’s coverage area.