There has been talk for some time now about the potential use of drones for so-called “last-mile” deliveries. This is already a reality in the United States, albeit with strict limitations. But that is beginning to change. 

In early April, New Zealand’s aviation authority granted the U.S. company SkyDrop permission to operate a drone distribution center in Huntly, a small town south of Auckland, allowing flights over populated areas and beyond the drone operator’s line of sight.

The New Zealand experience could pave the way for similar authorizations in Europe, Canada, and Australia, which have unmanned aircraft certification systems similar to New Zealand’s, experts say. SkyDrop has a distribution agreement with Domino’s Pizza in New Zealand. The company’s drones can carry packages weighing up to 3.6 kilograms within a range of 5 kilometers.