Wedoany.com Report on Feb 13th, After extensive test flights and years of pilot programs in the United States, Zipline, in partnership with Walmart, has officially launched its drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Initially free, the service covers residents within a 2-mile radius of the Walmart Supercenter in the Mesquite suburb, capable of delivering over 65,000 items within 30 minutes.

Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Clifton stated: "This service delivers goods 10 times faster than a car, with most orders taking less than two minutes of flight time." Customers in the early access program described the service as "quiet," "gentle," and "magical." Conner Wilkinson, Head of Community Engagement at Zipline, said in a statement: "In just a few weeks, we've become part of people's daily lives, especially for busy parents, seniors, and those looking to reduce errand-running time."

This launch marks the introduction of Zipline's Platform 2 (P2) delivery system, designed for urban and suburban areas, capable of operating in rain or gusts up to 45 mph. The P2 system consists of a drone and a small "Zip" droid that can carry 8 pounds of cargo, serving a 10-square-mile radius, and achieves precise doorstep delivery via a tether.

Since 2016, Zipline has completed nearly 1.5 million deliveries, accumulating over 100 million flight miles. Previously, the company primarily focused on delivering medical supplies in sub-Saharan Africa and partnered with U.S. healthcare providers. Last year, Walmart planned to offer drone delivery to 1.8 million households in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted certain restrictions, allowing Zipline to operate beyond the visual line of sight of pilots.

Zipline plans to add Waxahatchee as a second P2 site in the coming weeks and expand its coverage in the region over the next five months. As Walmart ends its partnership with DroneUp, Zipline and Wing will compete for the market, while Amazon Prime Air has also resumed operations.