Introduction to Drone Delivery
One drone lifts up into the sky at a shopping centre on the outskirts of Dublin, then another. They rise to 70ft, tilt forward and zip away in different directions, each carrying a paper bag. On a sleepy morning in the Irish capital, the takeoffs build to a steady one every few minutes, with barely anyone glancing at the constant stream of aircraft buzzing back and forth. The man responsible, Bobby Healy, the founder of the Dublin startup Manna Aero, notes that people probably should take notice, as the drones are part of an effort to realise an ambition shared by Amazon, the Google sister company Wing and the Californian startup Zipline: instant, autonomous home delivery.
The Promise of Drone Delivery
Drones have already made a huge impact on things ranging from photography to light shows, humanitarian missions to the war in Ukraine. The promise is obvious: skip terrestrial congestion. However, the companies now have to persuade investors and the public. Previous Wing trials in Australia faced public opposition. Some residents in Dublin have complained about noise from the drones, but the company has said it received only 53 complaints in the year to February. Healy and his big-tech rivals hope drone delivery will change the course of the retail industry across Ireland, and then into the UK as soon as this year.
How Manna Aero Works
Manna Aero has flown 200,000 delivery flights in the Dublin suburb of Blanchardstown, as well as in Helsinki, Finland. Deals with Just Eat and DoorDash could help as it expands and attracts businesses ranging from restaurants, tool stores and bookshops. On Manna’s app, orders can be placed for delivery to a specific location. A speck on the horizon gradually resolves itself into a quadcopter as it skims over the Dublin suburban skyline. It approaches the garden, hovers momentarily, and then drops the paper bag on a biodegradable string. The drone flies off, leaving the ordered items.
Autonomous Drones
The drones are autonomous from the point that they are loaded and given the OK to lift off from the base. Six minutes later, on average, the drones arrive at the house, and hover above the garden. The only intervention from a pilot is when a video flicks on back at the base to check whether the ground is clear of people or cars. Each aircraft does about 80 deliveries a day, well over double what a delivery driver or rider would generally do. On top of that, a drone "pilot" is able to oversee up to 20 aircraft at once.
Expansion Plans
Manna’s catchment area covers 150,000 people in Blanchardstown. By the end of the year, the company expects to cover about a million people across Dublin. That would be most of the city outside the centre, where shorter distances and fewer private gardens for drops rule out Manna for now. By the end of the year, Healy hopes to be at a rate of 2m flights annually. The UK launch has been held up by regulation, although the adoption of EU drone standards on 1 April could open the door as soon as this year, or "definitely" 2026.
Challenges Ahead
Manna still has a lot of obstacles ahead. Each flight is profitable now, but the cost of expansion will still be high for the loss-making company. It has done everything so far on a shoestring €60m in venture capital money, with Coca-Cola and Patrick Collison, the founder of the fintech firm Stripe, on board as investors. Healy also knows that some people will balk at the idea of instant retail gratification. Birds know to keep away, but the company may in the future have to solve the problem of avoiding rival operators’ aircraft.
Conclusion
Healy is ebullient about the future of drone deliveries. "It will enable a totally different form of commerce to what we have today," he says. "People in small businesses beating the giants. If you can move everything in three minutes then you have an Amazon slayer." With its innovative approach and expanding operations, Manna Aero is poised to make a significant impact on the retail industry. As the company continues to grow and improve its services, it will be exciting to see how drone delivery changes the way we shop and live.
