DoorDash Air unveils a drone delivery system, and cannot yet fly it out of sight

DoorDash Air unveiled a drone with six slow-spinning propellers and a winch, planning pilot deliveries in Northern California with Chipotle and Popeyes for light, small orders that represent about 80% of its restaurant traffic. Early tests show restaurant-to-door times under five minutes. The company holds a Part 135 certification that limits flights to visual line of sight, preventing network-wide operations. Irish drone operator Manna completed 300,000 deliveries before pausing in June due to lack of national policy and is now building a factory in Tulsa that will employ roughly 1,000 workers.