Uber and Zipline Partner to Scale Drone Deliveries to One Million Per Day by 2029

Uber and Zipline have formed a strategic partnership to bring drone delivery to Uber Eats customers across the U.S., with plans to scale to one million deliveries per day by 2029. The companies will start deployments later this year in markets where Zipline already operates, including Dallas and Houston, before expanding into dozens of cities as the service grows. Uber has also made a strategic investment in Zipline, though the terms were not disclosed.

## Expanding Drone Delivery Beyond Healthcare

Zipline, known for its medical logistics networks, has been expanding into food and retail delivery in the U.S. The company operates on four continents, serving over 5,000 hospitals and health facilities, with more than 2.7 million deliveries and 135 million autonomous miles flown. In the U.S., about 70% of Zipline’s flights now occur domestically, with partnerships including Walmart in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Uber collaboration marks a significant shift for Zipline, moving from specialized medical deliveries to mainstream consumer markets. Customers in participating areas will soon have the option to select drone delivery for eligible Uber Eats orders, with Zipline’s autonomous system promising deliveries within minutes.

## Accelerating Mainstream Adoption

The partnership aims to integrate drone delivery into everyday life by leveraging Uber’s established platform, which connects millions of consumers and merchants. Uber describes this as part of a broader effort to build a hybrid delivery network, combining human couriers, sidewalk robots, and drones.

Zipline’s Co-Founder, Keller Cliffton, emphasized the transformative potential of drone delivery, comparing it to past transportation revolutions. The goal is to make deliveries as effortless as sending a text, regardless of location.

While the one-million-deliveries-per-day target is ambitious, the partnership aligns with the growing trend of commercial drone delivery moving beyond pilot programs. Zipline, along with other operators like Wing and Flytrex, has already expanded routine operations in several U.S. markets, particularly in Texas, Arkansas, and Ohio.

By embedding drone delivery within the Uber Eats app, the companies aim to make autonomous delivery a seamless part of everyday life, rather than a separate service. This collaboration represents a major step toward integrating drones into mainstream delivery networks.