An Irish start-up is hoping to have the UK’s first food drone delivery pilot scheme operating in 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
With a fleet of specially designed 23kg quadcopters, Manna Aero has carried out more than 200,000 food delivery flights in west Dublin, Espoo in Finland and Texas.
As the company aims to expand, its CEO Bobby Healy said the UK “would be our most important market in Europe. It’s by far the biggest delivery market today. We think our product maps really well onto the UK high street, particularly”.
“We’re actively in dialogue with both the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and with NATS (National Air Traffic Services), the airspace manager for the country. And we expect to be there next year,” Mr Healy added.
Manna has completed up to 50,000 deliveries in the D15 postcode of west Dublin since its trial started a year and a half ago.
The drones, which are almost fully autonomous, dart overhead at a cruising altitude of 262ft (80m), carrying everything from burgers and chips to fresh meat from a local butcher’s shop.
Coffee is the most popular order, Mr Healy said, but “we were really surprised that we deliver a lot of fresh eggs. I think people are trying to deliberately test us to see if we can deliver something as delicate as eggs, but it’s not a problem”.
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Customers must ensure a landing zone – usually a back garden – is clear of obstacles.
This is checked by a human drone operator using a downward-facing camera, before the food is released. The packages descend on a biodegradable string, which is then severed.
“The average flight time is about three minutes. The advantage is that it’s quieter, it’s safer, it’s greener, and it’s better for business generally than the road-based alternative.”
But not everyone in the suburbs of west Dublin is so enthused about their new service.
Mark Hammond, from Blanchardstown, said the noise the drones make “is very stressful, absolutely it is. When it’s constant, you can’t relax. This is across the estate, it’s not just me and [wife] Florence, there’s a lot of concern about it”.
As the fourth quadcopter in an hour flew over their back garden, Florence said they “sound like helicopters”.
Another resident, Michael Dooley, is part of Drone Action Dublin 15.
He described the noise of the drone flights as “very, very bothersome. The drone, when it flies, has a very tonal, sharp, pulsing, intrusive noise. You’ll hear it coming from afar”.
When hovering at their lowest height, to release their cargo, Michael said the sound “is intolerable”.
Pointing to a study from Trinity College that found relatively low decibel levels, Mr Healy said: “We know from the science that we’re far less noisy than just general background urban noise. And we’re continually investing. We have new technology coming in, and propulsion and propellers.
“So I don’t think noise is the issue; I think perception is, like any new technology. We had this problem with cars, with steam engines, we had it with every disruptive technology – AI, 5G, you name it. There’s a natural concern to be understood. And I think over time it will be generally accepted.”
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The Drone Action Dublin 15 group disputes the methodology of the Trinity College study.
Local TD [member of parliament] Emer Currie said that with worries about “a new M50 [motorway] in the sky”, it’s a balancing act in the area.
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“We do have to be realistic about this. Yes, this is innovation and things are moving forward. But there are realities of the impact on a residential community that have to be taken into consideration. Innovation is important, but so is regulation.”
The Irish government recently brought in a drone policy framework, but critics say actual regulations and legislation remain sorely lacking.
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Manna acknowledges the EU’s regulatory environment is more drone-friendly than in other parts of the world, including the UK and the US.
But should negotiations with British regulators prove fruitful, the company is determined to bring its service to UK consumers in 2026.
Companies like Amazon have started planning for drone deliveries in the UK. The company is one of six chosen by the Civil Aviation Authority to take part in new trials to expand the use of drones.
But Ireland’s regulatory framework is friendlier to drone companies.
