Delivery Drones Could Cover All of Texas by 2027

"Everything is bigger in Texas" — and drone delivery is no exception.

According to a plan unveiled by partners Zipline and Wonder, buzzing drones could be delivering hot meals, cold drinks, and even prescription medications to residents across Texas within minutes — as early as the end of 2027. The drone delivery operator and food-tech platform announced on Tuesday (January) that they will launch on-demand delivery services at Wonder locations beginning in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Wonder plans to expand the service to "most" of its store locations in the state by the end of next year and is actively building out the infrastructure to support expansion centered on Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

"Drone delivery plays a key role in Wonder's strategy by improving speed and reaching areas underserved by traditional delivery methods, making quality meals accessible to more people," Wonder said in a statement.

In March, Wonder's subsidiary Grubhub partnered with Zipline rival Dexa for a three-month drone delivery pilot in New Jersey.

Drones Touch Down in the Lone Star State

Zipline is the largest operator in the drone delivery industry. Since its founding in 2016, the company has completed 2.5 million deliveries worldwide, accumulating 135 million miles of flight.

The company is already actively operating in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas and plans to expand to Phoenix and at least three additional states before the end of this year. Texas users will have access to more than 100,000 different items through the service.

Zipline's Platform 1 (P1) delivery system can comfortably handle routes up to 100 miles. For its partnership with Wonder, however, Zipline is deploying the smaller Platform 2 (P2), which is designed to deliver packages directly to customers' front yards or public spaces such as parks. In 2022, Zipline became the first drone operator to receive FAA Part 135 certification.

The P2 drones — also known as "Zips" — cruise at approximately 70 mph and carry a maximum payload of 8 pounds. Upon reaching the delivery location, the drone deploys a tether to lower the order, stored in a compact "droid" container, from an altitude of up to 300 feet to the ground. The system is designed for hub-and-spoke or point-to-point operations.

Zipline's flight, pickup, and delivery processes are fully automated, minimizing friction for merchants integrating the service. Wonder employees simply place orders into the company's "Dropbox" drop box, enter a code on a keypad to unlock a secure drawer, and leave the rest to the drone. The Dropbox can be installed at various indoor and outdoor locations without construction or special packaging requirements.

Similar innovations — such as rival Wing's "Autoloader" system — have already enabled hundreds of businesses to trial on-demand aerial delivery.

Bigger Expansion on the Horizon?

Dallas-Fort Worth is a hub for the booming drone delivery industry, with Flytrex, Wing's Walmart partnership, and other operators flying daily missions there. Operating under FAA authorization, these companies use Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology to coordinate and manage thousands of flights per month in shared airspace.

The FAA is closely monitoring these developments and is actively planning pathways to scale up drone delivery operations — a milestone that may be closer than it appears.

Zipline's P2 Zips are capable of completing one-way trips of up to 24 miles or operating within a 10-mile service radius. This is made possible by a BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) waiver Zipline obtained in 2023, in which the company demonstrated to the FAA that its proprietary "detect-and-avoid" system can effectively substitute for a human visual observer. The system uses ADS-B transponders and microphones to monitor airspace threats within a 2-mile radius in all directions.

Nevertheless, Zipline and other operators are hoping to fly even farther. The FAA's proposed "Part 108" regulations, which aim to standardize BVLOS rules, could pave the way for this.

Zipline, Wing, Flytrex, and others are already conducting BVLOS flights in Texas. Once Part 108 takes effect, they would be able to replicate the same model at other locations nationwide without applying for individual waivers — meaning Texas may not remain the drone delivery capital of the United States forever.

However, the aviation community and the drone industry remain sharply divided on whether the FAA's proposals are workable. Many pilots believe drones are not yet ready for expanded operations, particularly near airports.

This week, a JetBlue Airways pilot reported a suspected drone strike during approach to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), though a preliminary investigation found no damage to the aircraft and no evidence of drone activity in the area.

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