UPS is sending its drone airline on a new route in the battle against COVID-19.
United Parcel Service Inc. said its subsidiary UPS Flight Forward will use drones to deliver prescription medicine from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages retirement community, home to more than 135,000 residents in south Florida.
The Atlanta-based logistics giant said its Matternet M2 quadcopter will start flying a less than one-half mile service to an area near The Villages in early May. Initially, a ground vehicle will complete the delivery to the resident’s door.
The service sits under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 rules, with authority to operate through the pandemic and explore ongoing needs as they arise after that period, according to UPS. The operation could expand to include deliveries from two additional CVS pharmacies in the area.
“Our new drone delivery service will help CVS provide safe and efficient deliveries of medicines to this large retirement community, enabling residents to receive medications without leaving their homes,” said Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer, in a news release.
UPS and drone-maker Matternet last year collaborated to launch a healthcare delivery service on WakeMed’s hospital campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. They've now completed more than 3,700 flights, UPS said.
In October 2019, UPS received a green-light to expand its drone delivery service to support hospital campuses around the country, and to provide solutions for customers beyond those in the health care industry. UPS and CVS Health Corp. successfully completed their first drone deliveries of medical prescriptions from a pharmacy in Cary, North Carolina in November.
In April, UPS Flight Forward announced participation in tests in Virginia with the U.S. government to determine how unmanned aerial systems can assist medical professionals in their fight to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FedEx, like UPS, has explored using drones as a company tool. In September, it announced that Wing Aviation LLC — a subsidiary of Alphabet — was working with FedEx Express and Walgreens to launch a drone delivery service.
And, in March, Aslon — a Philadelphia-based company that specializes in drone security robotics — said it would work with FedEx Express to provide additional security at Memphis International Airport.