Nation’s biggest industrial center tests drone delivery

The latest drone delivery pilot targets hungry workers on the job.

Drone delivery service Flirtey has begun routine drone delivery demonstrations in a designated area inside the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRI Center) located in Nevada. The demonstrations are in preparation for routine food delivery trials to designated points on the TRI Center Park. 

TRI Center is the largest industrial center in the U.S. and encompasses more than 100 companies, warehouse logistics centers, and fulfillment centers across 11 million-sq.-ft. of property. Tenants include Tesla's Gigafactory, Walmart, Google, Panasonic, and The Home Depot. These facilities employ approximately 25,000 people. 

The Flirtey Portal, a takeoff-and-landing platform that enables scalable operations and fits into one parking space, has been set up in the TRI Center in a designated area. Select businesses within the area will be part of these demonstration delivery trials. Routine drone delivery demonstrations are occurring several days a week, multiple times per day. Flirtey plans to ramp up flights and delivery demonstrations as this next phase of operations continues.

"These trials are the next milestone in bringing drone delivery to businesses in America, and consumers in Nevada will be among the first to have access to on-demand drone deliveries," said Flirtey founder and CEO Matthew Sweeny. "We look forward to expanding Flirtey drone delivery nationwide."

Following success in Nevada, Flirtey plans to scale drone delivery in 2020.