DoorDash secured Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on July 29, 2026, to operate its commercial drone delivery service, DoorDash Air [1, 2, 3, 4]. The certification allows the company to fly drones beyond visual line of sight, a critical regulatory milestone needed for extensive drone operations [1, 3].
DoorDash Air drones are designed and built domestically by DoorDash Labs, the company’s research and robotics division responsible for its Dot sidewalk delivery robot introduced in September 2025 [2, 3, 4]. The majority of drone components are sourced within the United States, reinforcing the company’s focus on American manufacturing [1, 3].
The company plans to launch commercial drone deliveries in fall 2026, targeting orders delivered within 3 to 5 miles. This distance range currently sees nearly 25% longer delivery times due to the inefficiency of dispatching drivers, and drones could reduce these delays [1, 4]. Harrison Shih, head of DoorDash Air, said, "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" [4].
DoorDash Air will develop not only the drones but also the necessary ground systems for routing, safety, maintenance, and merchant handoffs, aiming to create a fully integrated drone delivery operation [3, 4]. Stanley Tang, DoorDash co-founder and Chief Product Officer, emphasized that the project focuses on solving a real customer problem rather than just creating cutting-edge autonomous technology, stating, "We didn’t start with the question, ‘What’s the coolest autonomous tech we could make?’ We started from first principles: What’s the actual customer problem that needs to be solved?" [2]
Until now, DoorDash has relied on partnerships with third-party operators Wing and Flytrex for drone deliveries and will continue collaborating with them [2, 3, 4]. Wing, owned by Alphabet, has worked with DoorDash in the U.S. and Australia since 2022, and DoorDash expanded this partnership to new markets like Dallas-Fort Worth in 2024 and metro Atlanta in April 2026 [2, 4]. DoorDash is now the eighth drone operator in the U.S. to receive Part 135 certification [4].
DoorDash’s next key step is to launch commercial drone deliveries with DoorDash Air in fall 2026, moving the company closer to directly operating autonomous local commerce aerial logistics [1, 4].
