This November, Domino’s New Zealand completed its first commercial delivery of food by drone to a customer, making it the first successful delivery of food anywhere in the world to a customer, Domino’s announced in a press release.
Domino’s Pizza and drone delivery partner Flirtey delivered the first order, a Peri-Peri Chicken Pizza, and a Chicken and Cranberry Pizza, to a customer in Whangaparaoa, 25km north of Auckland, NZ.
After three months of operational and product trials, including food temperature testing, and liaison with government, the unmanned aerial vehicle, DRU Drone by Flirtey, was autonomously controlled using GPS navigation, overseen by a team of drone experts and a qualified and experienced drone pilot.
“We invested in this partnership, and technology, because we believe drone delivery will be an essential component of our pizza deliveries, so even more customers can receive the freshest, hottest pizza we can offer,” Domino’s Group CEO Don Meij stated in the release. “Our partnership with Flirtey grew out of this drive to innovate. Their success within the airborne delivery space has been impressive and we’re proud to have partnered with them on this world first.
He explained that the drone delivery method offers the promise of safer, faster deliveries to an expanded delivery area, meaning more customers can expect to receive a freshly-made order within our ultimate target of 10 minutes.
“We expect DRU Drone by Flirtey to be an essential addition to our delivery fleet,” Meij added.
Flirtey CEO, Matt Sweeny received a Part 102 Unmanned Aircraft Operators Certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority.
“This will actually create jobs. As we expand, we will look to hire additional team members whose roles will be focused on drone order loading and fleet management,” Sweeny said. “I am proud of this partnership that has not only delivered this momentous event, but is leading the world for this important technology.
Customers are also excited about the possibilities. According to a recent GPS Driver Tracker Polls, research revealed that 70 per cent of customers would use DRU Drone by Flirtey for their deliveries if given the opportunity.
“This is the first time a drone delivery service has been approved for store-to-door deliveries, cementing Flirtey’s position as the leader of the drone delivery industry worldwide,” Sweeny explaned. “The eyes of Silicon Valley and the world are on New Zealand, which has the most forward-thinking aviation regulations, and Flirtey and Domino’s are excited to be bringing world-leading technology, international investment, and high paying jobs to New Zealand.
The use of DRU Drone by Flirtey as a delivery method is designed to work alongside Domino’s current delivery fleet and ultimately will be fully integrated into online ordering and GPS systems.
The companies plan on taking a ‘Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly’ approach to roll out drone delivery. Sweeny said they are getting closer to the time where you can push a button on your smartphone and have Domino’s delivered by DRU Drone by Flirtey to your home.
“It is so exciting to work with Domino’s and achieve this world first together. The insights that Domino’s can bring by being a world-class delivery company helps Flirtey to offer a world-class drone delivery service,” Sweeny added.
Domino’s is looking at opportunities for drone delivery trials in its six other markets – Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany.
