)
Alphabet-owned drone delivery company Wing has announced its entry into the Melbourne market through a partnership with food delivery group DoorDash, facilitated by favourable regulatory changes that have opened up its largest Australian metro delivery area to date.
Wing's head of policy, regulatory and community affairs, Margaret Nagle, announced in a blog post that the company, which is affiliated with the parent company of Google, would be bringing more than five years of commercial delivery experience in Australia to the state of Victoria.
"This expansion is supported by updated regulatory approvals we’ve received from the Australian government," Nagle said.
"Our approved delivery area covering Melbourne is our largest in Australia to date, as is the pilot to aircraft ratio which governs our highly automated operations.
"These changes allow a single pilot to oversee up to 50 drones in the air at any given time, an increase of over three times our prior approvals."
She said this increase was achieved by demonstrating the safety of Wing's aircraft, system and operations while delivering directly to homes over the past five years.
This includes a particularly active presence in Southeast Queensland where Wing launched Australia's first urban drone delivery service.
"“Our customers use drone delivery, for things like a loaf of bread to prepare school lunch, toiletries, or an afternoon treat like coffee or ice cream. We’ve been able to provide delivery that’s safe, fast, and environmentally friendly," said Wing spokesperson Jesse Suskin
In September 2023 the group partnered with both DoorDash and the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) to launch a new drone hub at the Hyperdome shopping centre in Logan. QIC is also the owner of the first hub for the service in Victoria.
"Giving over 250,000 Melbourne-area residents access to drone delivery via the DoorDash app, our first Nest in Victoria is located at QIC’s Eastland Shopping Centre in Maroondah," Nagle said.
"This expansion marks significant growth into major metro cities, allowing for hundreds of thousands more people, and dozens of new merchants, to have access to drone delivery in Australia through DoorDash.
"2024 is the year of drone delivery. With this latest expansion, Wing and DoorDash continue to meet the rising demand for fast and efficient food delivery."
Eastland general manager Greg Balmforth said bringing drone delivery to Eastland in Ringwood would help retailers harness another avenue of business while improving the shopping experience for customers.
The service will initially be available to people in 26 suburbs including Ringwood, Ringwood North, Mitcham, Nunawading, Donvale, Park Orchards, Warranwood, Croydon Hills, Croydon South, Bayswater, Wantirna, Heathmont, Vermont, and in parts of Vermont South, Forest Hill, Wonga Park, Kilsyth, Warrandyte South, Blackburn, Blackburn North, Doncaster East, Croydon North, Croydon, Bayswater North, Boronia and Wantirna South.
)
