DroneUp, a Virginia-based drone solutions provider, has completed its first smart city drone delivery in the New Haven community in Ontario, California. The initiative was led by the City of Ontario and the real estate company Brookfield Properties. The trial marks the first drone program to directly involve the city and the first-ever drone flight near a major airport (Ontario International Airport).

DroneUp and Airspace Link, a drone software provider, worked together to deliver items from the New Haven Marketplace shopping mall to residents during the trials. Upon the test trials’ success, the city plans to scale up drone-based delivery operations citywide. 

Analyst quicktake: DroneUp is a drone startup working on aerial data collection and processing, drone-based deliveries, pilot flight services, and commercial and public sector sales. This news comes within a month of the company receiving a significant investment from Walmart to develop a scalable last-mile delivery solution. Walmart and DroneUp have conducted several delivery trials in the US, including New York, Nevada, Texas, and Georgia.