In January, the Federal Aviation Administration gave final approval to a Marlborough, Massachusetts-based company to conduct autonomous commercial drone flights. In a press release, American Robotics Inc. said it had been approved for operation for its Scout System drones, including for operation beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator, the first known company to achieve that approval from the FAA.

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) secured a patent for drone technology that can be paired directly with delivery vans. The system, if it comes to fruition, could enable Amazon to optimize its last-mile delivery services by outsourcing much of the work to its automated drones. The patent would enable the drone to be controlled by the van itself.

Workhorse Group (NASDAQ:WKHS) positions itself as an electric truck maker capable of using a truck-mounted drone for package delivery. With its composite body electric delivery vans in early production, the company's aircraft business is closer to taking off. In four years, the Workhorse HorseFly drone counts hundreds of package deliveries in three states. Workhorse filed for patents in April covering key components and capabilities, including its ground control station, winch deliveries, and aircraft structure.  

AgEagle's Michael Drozd talked with FreightWaves' John Kingston about the competitive landscape for drone manufacturers, the agricultural uses that were in the company's origins and where he sees drone use for parcel deliveries headed. "The idea of getting a pizza [with a drone is a] great idea but probably not [where] the economics need to be short term. In the short term, it's really those higher-value, mission-critical health needs, if you will, that are really going to be pushing forward. [But] in the end, as you get closer to full autonomy, it starts to push the envelope," he said.

If you are a commercial drone operator — or hope to be one — the best state for you is probably North Dakota. You definitely don't want to set up operations in Kentucky. Those two states ranked first and last, respectively, in a report from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The report, "Which States are Prepared for the Drone Industry? A 50-State Report Card, Release 2.0," is an attempt to identify which states are best prepared for commercial drone adoption and suggests states create "drone highways," situated right above existing public roads.

International shipping giant DHL is ceasing development of its Parcelcopter delivery drones, according to a report in German publication WELT. That halts the company's nearly decadelong quest to become a leader in the emerging drone industry. "We are not continuing the Parcelcopter project," Alexander Edenhofer, a DHL spokesman, told Benedikt Fuest of WELT. According to Fuest, the company (OTC:DPSGY) also said it will cease its pilot program with German manufacturer Wingcopter, through which it has been testing drone delivery of medical supplies in Tanzania.

If you live in Fayetteville, North Carolina, you can now have Starbucks delivered — not quite in your backyard yet, but soon perhaps. An Israeli drone company, Flytrex, has been testing drone delivery in North Carolina, delivering items from restaurants in the Holly Springs Towne Center to a pickup location within a five-minute drone flight. Starbucks, Dairy Queen Blizzards, pastries and light meals are among the menu items.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) customers along the Arkansas and Missouri state line are now receiving their e-commerce orders via drone delivery. The retailer and drone provider Zipline International announced the pilot program operating out of Walmart's Pea Ridge, Arkansas, store. The pilot went live late in 2021. Pea Ridge Mayor Jackie Crabtree told the Joplin Globe the deliveries would be mostly medical supplies, and at its peak, the service could be making as many as 15 deliveries per day.

DHL said it could use up to 4,000 heavy-cargo drones operated by Dronamics for its logistics and parcel network in Europe. The Black Swan unmanned aircraft can carry 770 pounds up to 1,500 miles. It was the second large customer Dronamics signed in three weeks after announcing a partnership with Hellmann Logistics to develop a cross-border cargo delivery service by early next year. DHL (DXE: DPW) said Dronamics would support same-day cargo delivery by covering the middle mile of a shipment's journey in select industries and markets with time-critical requirements, such as e-commerce and pharmaceuticals. The companies will work together to establish a dedicated drone-delivery network.

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