• Drone Express, the drone delivery arm of TELEGRID Technologies Inc., has partnered with pizza restaurant chain Papa John’s for a drone-based pizza delivery test pilot in Powder Springs in Atlanta, Georgia.

• The company started conducting the test flights last month, operating within the visual line of sight (VLOS), delivering single pizza orders for customers within a one-mile radius of a Papa John’s restaurant. Pizzas are delivered free of charge during the initial pilot, with plans to charge a basic delivery fee if rolled out in the future.

• The flights typically take around 15 minutes and are overseen by a drone pilot and a visual observer.

• TELEGRID Technologies develops and manufactures communications, networking equipment, and systems for the US military and government agencies. The Drone Express division of TELEGRID, founded in 2018, is currently working toward the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Part 135 certification, which permits commercial deliveries on a trial basis.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Drone-based delivery trials are not new to Papa John’s or to pizza delivery for that matter. The service is already available for Papa John’s customers in Holly Springs, North Carolina in partnership with drone-based delivery provider Flytrex. Furthermore, pizza chain Domino’s also expanded its drone-based delivery service in New Zealand earlier this year in partnership with peer startup SkyDrop. On a separate note, today’s news comes just over a year after Drone Express piloted drone-based grocery deliveries for Kroger in Centerville, Ohio.</ul>