Amazon, Google, DHL, Swiss Post and the large pizza chains are among the growing list of organizations endorsing drones for delivery. Some of these organizations have even tested their drones and have succeeded. Swiss Post is one of the latest to have finished testing drones for delivery and they have met with resounding success.
In an official statement, Swiss Post has announced successful testing of its drones but has hinted at limited use of the technology. Swiss Post has iterated that drones will possibly be used for deliveries in peripheral areas and for express delivery but it does not see widespread use of the flying wonders in the next five years at least. This is one of the most common remarks that have emerged from all tests of delivery drones. Pizza chains have tried delivery drones on a small scale and have not endorsed the technology for widespread use.
This brings us to the question, will the future of delivery include drones or is it just another fad that will fade away.
The answer is simple but the reasoning is not. Drones can make delivery faster and unmanned drones will mean less manpower and reduced costs. The carbon footprint of drones may be a tad lower than trucks or delivery vans. But there are some problems which are yet to be answered. Drones being used on a large scale will bring in regulations. Many world cities today have no flying zones. That would make such cities inappropriate for drones. Delivery to faraway places is anyway not as frequent as deliveries in metropolises. A company like Courierpoint delivers thousands of parcels in a day in just one bustling street of downtown New York but has very few places in rural India or in southern France. Then there are local challenges. A courier service to India will not have an easy task putting drones in action, given the cityscapes and prevailing laws.
Then there is a shortcoming in drones. The flying wonders will not be appropriate for all kinds of deliveries. Large parcels or packages that need manned delivery will still have to be catered to by couriers. And a company will not invest in new infrastructure if it cannot be used on a large scale. While some companies may enjoy the thrill of something new or unprecedented, it has to make business sense for the technology to become a common practice in the industry.