Just Eat has launched drone deliveries in Dublin and is planning to roll out the service in other European markets.
The aggregator app has partnered with drone company Manna on the service. Customers will have the choice to receive their orders from participating partners via drones, which will be deployed from local delivery hubs operated by Manna. Once the food has been loaded onto the drone, customers will receive their orders in as little as three minutes.
The new delivery method will “improve operational efficiency and reduce delivery times during peak hours” said Joerg Gerbig, chief operating officer, Just Eat.
Just Eat said it aims to roll out drone deliveries to its other markets globally. Manna already operates under the pan-European regulatory framework set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and is actively developing rollout plans in collaboration with partners and local authorities in other countries in Europe.
“We’re very excited to be working with Manna to offer an alternative form of delivery, offering customers a seamless ordering journey and ensuring they receive what they want, when they want it,” said Jessica Hall, chief product officer at Just Eat Takeaway.com.
“This partnership is the latest in our continued commitment to finding and testing innovative ways of enabling everyday convenience and delivering best-in-class user experience,” she added.
The service has launched with Mexican burrito bar chain Boojum.
“At Boojum, we’re always looking for innovative ways to enhance our customer experience and stay ahead of the curve, and integrating Manna drone delivery with Just Eat encapsulates that,” said Rob Powell, head of operations at Boojum.
“Speed, convenience, and quality are at the heart of what we do, and this partnership allows us to bring our fresh, bold flavours to customers in a whole new way. We’re excited to be at the forefront of this concept and can’t wait for more of our customers to experience their favourite Boojum meals delivered by drone,” he added.
Manna, which is based in Moneygall, near Limerick, boasts a fleet of drones that can travel at an altitude of 80 metres and a speed of more than 50mph. It has previously run trials in Ireland with Tesco.
Having taken off in other countries, drone deliveries in the UK are still in their early stages.
In January, Amazon unveiled the location of its first planned Prime Air drone delivery in the UK. Initial flights will depart from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Darlington, the e-commerce giant said. Before then Amazon said it must lodge a planning application with the local authority to seek permission to build a flight operation facility at the site, as well as apply for authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to fly drones in the airspace.
“Once those agreements are in place, we will begin hiring team members to launch drone delivery,” the company said. “Once the service is live, customers within the service area will be able to order items directly from the Amazon app or website.”
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