Drone Food Delivery Takes Flight in Finland, Partnering with Major Platforms

A new drone delivery service is now operating in Finland. It brings meals from popular restaurants directly to customers’ doors. This initiative is a partnership between delivery platform Wolt, Irish drone company Manna, and Finnish food startup Huuva.

The service is currently active in Espoo, part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. According to TechCrunch, the drones have been fully operational for two months. This marks a significant step in automating last-mile logistics for the food industry.

How Drone Delivery Enhances Speed and Cuts Costs

The drones can carry up to 4.4 pounds of food and groceries. They fly from a shared launchpad with a Wolt Market store. This allows customers to combine restaurant meals with grocery items in a single, rapid order.

Delivery times are slashed because drones avoid ground traffic. This ensures food arrives fresher. The unit economics are also far more sustainable for the companies involved.

Huuva estimates traditional deliveries cost between five and six euros. Drone deliveries could reduce that cost to just one euro per drop. This massive saving could reshape the food delivery business model.

Overcoming Nordic Weather and Regulatory Hurdles

Finnish weather poses a clear challenge for aerial vehicles. Manna’s drones, tested in Irish wind and rain, are built for harsh conditions. Snow is handled similarly to heavy rain, but icing requires a different approach.

During icy conditions, orders automatically revert to couriers. Using de-icing chemicals is not an option with food on board. This built-in redundancy ensures reliability and safety for every delivery.

Strict safety protocols are always followed. Each drone has multiple redundancies and a parachute system. Mission control in Ireland oversees each flight, with local staff handling physical operations.

This expansion of drone food delivery demonstrates a viable future for automated logistics. The successful partnership in Espoo paves the way for wider adoption across Europe. The era of aerial meal drops has truly arrived.

Info at your fingertips

How does the drone delivery process work?

Customers order through the Wolt app. If a drone is available, it flies to a pin-dropped location near the customer’s home and lowers the package using a biodegradable rope.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The drones are built for wind and rain. In cases of severe icing, the system automatically falls back to a traditional courier delivery to ensure the order arrives safely.

How much weight can the drones carry?

Each Manna drone can carry approximately 4.4 pounds. The service can send two drones at once for larger orders that exceed the single drone’s capacity.

Is drone delivery safer than traditional methods?

Extensive safety measures are in place. This includes battery redundancy, human oversight of landing zones, and a parachute system for emergency scenarios.

Why is this happening in Finland?

Espoo’s suburban layout is ideal for testing. The partnership secured necessary permits, allowing the service to launch quickly and demonstrate its efficiency in a real-world environment.