Wing Drone Delivery Milestone: 100,000 Deliveries in Australia

Wing Announces Impending 100,000th Drone Delivery

Alphabet’s drone delivery service, Wing, revealed in a blog post today that it is poised to complete its 100,000th customer delivery this weekend. This milestone occurs on the second anniversary of the service’s initial pilot program in Logan, Australia, a city with a population of approximately 300,000 located within the Brisbane metropolitan region.

This announcement is particularly noteworthy as it follows recent reports from Wired detailing difficulties and setbacks within Amazon’s parallel drone delivery initiatives. Jonathan Bass, Head of Communications at Wing, informed TechCrunch that expansion into further markets is anticipated in the coming months.

Future Expansion Plans

“We anticipate significant growth in our operations,” Bass stated to TechCrunch. “New service launches are planned in Australia, Finland, and the United States within the next six months.” He further noted that the technological capabilities currently surpass existing regulatory approvals.

Delivery Statistics from Logan, Australia

Over half of all deliveries to date have been fulfilled within Logan over the past eight months. During the first week of August, customers placed orders for 4,500 deliveries, averaging one delivery every 30 seconds during Wing’s operational hours.

Specific delivery numbers include:

• 10,000 servings of coffee
• 1,700 children’s snack packs
• 1,200 roasted chickens (known as “hot chooks” in Australia)
• 2,700 sushi rolls
• 1,000 loaves of bread

Technical Specifications and Operational Details

The drones possess a flight range of six miles, constrained by battery capacity. Consequently, delivery distances are relatively short, minimizing temperature fluctuations for transported goods. The package, similar in size to a Happy Meal, is carried externally from the drone.

The primary limitation is the maximum payload capacity of three pounds. The system has demonstrated the ability to safely transport delicate items, such as eggs, without incident.

Drones maintain a cruising altitude of 100 to 150 feet, descending to approximately 23 feet upon reaching the delivery location. A tether then lowers the package to the ground, requiring no recipient interaction.

Ongoing Development and Community Integration

“When factoring in test flights alongside completed deliveries, we’ve logged nearly half a million flights over the last four to five years,” explains Bass. “We have progressively integrated into more populated areas and actively sought community input.” This feedback has been instrumental in reducing drone-related noise pollution.