DoorDash announced today that it has received FAA Part 135 air carrier certification, allowing it to launch DoorDash Air, its first in-house drone delivery program.
The certification is one of the FAA’s highest approvals for commercial drone operators. DoorDash is now just the eighth drone operator in the nation to earn it.
“We want drone delivery to work for any merchant, anywhere. We’re building the full stack to make that possible from the ground infrastructure to the drone itself, and the handoff systems that make it work together seamlessly,” said DoorDash Air Head Harrison Shih in a press release. “Advances in hardware, compute, and AI are creating extraordinary new capabilities for local commerce, and becoming a certified air carrier accelerates everything we’re building.”
DoorDash already offers drone delivery through its partnership with Wing in The Arboretum in south Charlotte, Matthews, Indian Trail, and Huntersville’s Northcross Shopping Center. The company has also explored expanding service into University City.
With DoorDash Air, the company plans to operate its own drone network instead of relying only on partners.
DoorDash says the new system will combine drones, landing infrastructure and AI-powered logistics to speed up local deliveries.
During pilot programs in 2025, drone orders arrived in an average of 25 minutes. Some participating merchants also saw DoorDash order volume increase by roughly 30% after drone service launched.
The company says drones are especially effective for deliveries between three and five miles. Moving those trips to drones allows Dashers to complete more nearby deliveries and potentially earn more.
DoorDash’s new aircraft is being designed and built in the United States by DoorDash Labs, with most components also manufactured domestically.
Despite the expansion, DoorDash says Dashers will continue handling the vast majority of its millions of daily deliveries. Human drivers remain essential for apartment buildings, large orders and deliveries drones cannot complete.
The company says FAA certification is only the beginning as it expands drone delivery alongside Dashers, autonomous robots and other emerging technologies.
