Uber is teaming up with Irish drone company Manna, which already delivers small objects, such as phone chargers or medication, to people in Dublin and Ireland in roughly three minutes.
Uber is set to launch a commercial drone delivery service in Ireland, marking the rideshare giant’s first drone deployment in Europe.
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The company is teaming up with Manna, a commercial drone operator that already delivers small objects, such as phone chargers, pharmaceutical products and food to people in Dublin and Cork in roughly three minutes..
The service will first roll out in Ireland but will be expanded to more European cities in the future, the companies said.
“This partnership with Uber marks a defining moment for drone delivery,” said Eoghan Huston, chief operating officer at Manna. “Our focus remains simple: build the safest, fastest and most sustainable delivery infrastructure in the world,” he added.
“Drone delivery has the potential … [to] unlock a future where everything from dinner to daily essentials arrives in minutes, not hours,” the company said in a statement.
Uber launched a partnership with drone company Flytrex in the United States last September to start a drone delivery service that will reduce delivery times, lower costs, and reduce emissions compared to traditional delivery methods.
Manna has completed more than 250,000 drone deliveries in Europe, the company said. Last year, it also signed a delivery deal with JustEat Takeaway.com. Beyond Ireland, Manna has conducted tests in other countries, such as Finland and a project in Texas.
Other companies have started drone delivery services in Europe. Wing, a drone business run by Google’s parent company Alphabet, has conducted delivery drone tests in Switzerland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Finland.
Drone company Aviant launched deliveries in Lillehammer, Norway, in 2024. There, people can order up to 1.5 kilograms of merchandise such as medicine, groceries, and take away food.
Amazon attempted to start a drone delivery service in Italy but ultimately cancelled the programme last December due to regulatory issues, according to Reuters.
