Domino’s Pizza Drones Take Flight Again in New Zealand

Domino’s Pizza has partnered again with Skydrop to expand its drone delivery trials in New Zealand with new technology that’s faster, safer, quieter and greener, according to a blog post on Thursday (Jan. 27).

“We believe drone delivery will be an essential component of our pizza deliveries in the future,” Domino’s Group CEO and Managing Director Don Meij said. “Customers benefit from the convenience of having fresh, hot pizzas delivered with zero contact to their homes by electrically-powered drones, which also reduces traffic congestion and greenhouse emissions.”

See also: Pizza Hut Israel Plans Drone Delivery Trial

The Michigan-headquartered pizza company made the world’s first pizza delivery by drone in 2016 from Domino’s Whangaparaoa store in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2016, in partnership with Skydrop. The initial stage of the trial was conducted under Civil Aviation Rules Part 101, with both the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Ministry of Transport in attendance.

This second stage of the trial uses SkyDrop’s new drones that have increased payloads of up to 3.5kg and improved precision delivery altitude of up to 60 meters. A safety parachute was also added to the drone, which was granted the Part 102 Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate and Operations Specifications from the CAA in New Zealand.

Read more: Drone Trial Taking Place at 7-Eleven in Japan’s Fukuoka City

“New Zealand has a real opportunity to be at the forefront of the drone delivery industry globally,” SkyDrop founder and CEO Matthew Sweeny said. “We look forward to expanding our leadership in the trillion-dollar store-to-door food delivery market.”

Domino’s New Zealand General Manager Cameron Toomey said the company is scouting locations nationwide for a drone delivery pilot sometime this year.

Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, and founded in 2013, SkyDrop has worked with NASA, Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, Remote Area Medical, New Zealand Land Search & Rescue, Domino’s and 7-Eleven.

Five years ago, the company launched the first automated external defibrillator (AED) drone delivery service in the U.S. in partnership with The Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority in Nevada, according to SkyDrop’s website.