DoorDash has received a Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing the company to operate its own drone delivery service. The new program, called DoorDash Air, was developed by DoorDash Labs, the company's robotics and autonomy team, which has been building its own drones and drone infrastructure.
DoorDash Air drones are designed and assembled in the United States, with the majority of components made in the U.S., and are purpose-built for food delivery. The company says it will continue its existing partnerships with Wing and Flytrex, and DoorDash Air will join a multi-modal delivery network that includes human couriers, Dot sidewalk robots, and autonomous delivery partners.
Mid-range deliveries, spanning three to five miles, take on average nearly 25 percent longer than shorter deliveries. DoorDash routes these to drones to let Dashers focus on shorter orders that can be done quickly and maximize their earning potential. Dashers will remain essential, handling most daily deliveries and orders requiring extra flexibility like apartment drop-offs and large purchases.
Harrison Shih, head of DoorDash Air, said: 'We want drone delivery to work for any merchant, anywhere.' He added: 'We're building the full stack to make that possible from the ground infrastructure to the drone itself, and the handoff systems that make it work together seamlessly.'
While DoorDash targets a fall 2025 launch for commercial deliveries, the company has not provided a detailed timeline for when its custom-built drones will be operational. The program will begin with limited pilots where drones travel short distances within the operator's line of sight before longer flights. DoorDash will reveal more details at its annual Dash Forward event in September 2025.
The FAA's Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) certification is required for drones to fly autonomously over longer distances. DoorDash is one of eight operators to receive a Part 135 air carrier certification; meanwhile, companies including Amazon, Wing, and Zipline have obtained both Part 135 air carrier certification and BVLOS certification. DoorDash previously partnered with Wing in Australia and later expanded to US cities including Dallas-Fort Worth.
DoorDash Air includes pickups from drive-thrus, rooftops, and back doors, and the company will build ground-level infrastructure to enable restaurants to hand off deliveries to drones. It will establish flight plans, airspace management, and drop-off logistics. Customers will not be able to directly choose drone delivery; instead, the Autonomous Delivery Platform selects the optimal method—human driver, drone, or sidewalk bot—based on factors like speed, cost, and location.