Drones to play key role in food cold chain logistics

A new generation of transport providers may be making some forms of temperature control system irrelevant, says the upstart drone company, Flytrex.

Along with the drone services firm, Causey Aviation Unmanned, it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin food deliveries by drone in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

Flytrex will soon begin its on-demand, unmanned food delivery via commercial drones for local residents, says Yariv Bash, CEO and Co-Founder of Flytrex.

“Given the expediency of drones for food delivery, Flytrex requires no additional technology to preserve perishable cargo,” he adds. “Once up and running, flight time from pick up to drop off is within a few minutes, faster than any alternative.”

Pending the approved proposal, Flytrex drones will operate along one predetermined delivery route, connecting a distribution center at Holly Springs Towne Center, a shopping destination owned and operated by Kite Realty Group, with a single delivery point: Ting Park, a nearby outdoor sports and recreation hub.

The flight route crosses over Route 55, and will fly primarily over unpopulated areas, avoiding flights over adjacent neighborhoods.

Although this hardly represents a threat to traditional cargo airlines and “last-mile” trucking companies, the innovation is gaining traction with shippers serving small regional markets.

Google’s parent company Alphabet, for example, has the FAA’s blessing to begin food delivery in Virginia using the same drone technology it now uses in food logistics in Australia.

Amazon introduced its Prime Air delivery drone last June, with the intent to deliver food from the Amazon platform.

Finally, Uber Eats is testing the first ever commercial application of drone food delivery in high-density urban areas. The initial customer tests will showcase what the future of food logistics may look like for millions of consumers worldwide.