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DoorDash secures FAA Part 135 certification for drone deliveries
The FAA approval shifts DoorDash’s drone operation toward a fixed-asset logistics model rather than relying on incremental variable labor costs for each delivery run.
DoorDash has secured Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 air carrier certification, a regulatory milestone that changes how its localized fulfillment operations can be structured, according to MarketBeat Ratings.
The certification effectively enables DoorDash to operate as a fully certified commercial air carrier for drone deliveries, placing it in the same designated airspace class as other drone delivery programs such as Amazon Prime Air and Alphabet’s Wing.
MarketBeat Ratings says the approval can raise barriers to entry because meeting beyond-visual-line-of-sight requirements can demand years of capital spending, safety audits, and proprietary hardware development.
The outlet adds that using drones for mid-range deliveries could alter DoorDash’s cost structure by moving fulfillment away from incremental human driver payouts and toward upfront drone fleet investment.