Zipline is seeking Federal Aviation Administration approval for drone operations that could support up to 130,000 deliveries a day in the Phoenix and Tucson areas of Arizona, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, according to a draft environmental assessment the FAA published in November. The figures are the maximum capacity, not the expected number of deliveries.
Zipline could set up as many as 65 charging sites and 1,300 package dropboxes in each metropolitan area, with each charging site handling up to 1,000 deliveries a day. The FAA counts up to 390,000 flight legs a day across the two areas. About 95% of flights would take place between 7 am and 10 pm.
Zipline plans to use its Platform 2 aircraft, which weighs about 63 pounds at take-off and carries packages of up to 8 pounds. Zipline has a Part 135 air carrier certificate from the FAA and permission for some flights beyond the pilot's line of sight, but it still needs changes to its operating approvals before it can fly in Arizona.
The FAA is taking public comments on the assessment. The draft gives 7 December 2026 as the deadline, while the agency's web page gives 9 December.
Background
Federal Aviation Administration
Organization
United States civil aviation regulator, part of the Department of Transportation.
More stories about Federal Aviation Administration
Zipline
Organization
Zipline has raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion valuation, and Walmart is adding 300 more drone delivery sites.
