Walgreens testing drone deliveries in Texas

Walgreens is testing drone deliveries in Texas in partnership with Wing, a Google affiliate company.

The companies announced Wednesday the drone deliveries would start next week in the city of Frisco and the town of Little Elm. 

“Until now, this type of service in the United States has been limited to smaller towns, where land usage is less crowded and complex,” Wing said in a statement. “Wing’s reliable aircraft and advanced flight planning and routing capabilities make it uniquely capable of operating a highly automated drone delivery service in more crowded, complex operating environments.”

Walgreens said 100 items in the store, including medication, will be available through the service, The Associated Press reported.

Walgreens employees will load the items on the drone, with Wing in charge of the delivery itself. The operation can be set up on a roof, in a parking lot or near the store. 

Wing has been working at Hillwood’s AllianceTexas Flight Test Center since June to prepare for the launch. 

Although Wing deliveries are generally geared more toward single-home families, the company says it has been able to deliver to apartment buildings in places such Europe where the system has been used, according to the AP.

“It’s got very advanced planning and routing capabilities so for each flight, the system does millions of simulations to get the best route,” Jonathan Bass, Wing’s head of marketing and communications, said. “It can navigate to a very specific location.”

The service has been tested in other parts of the world and in Virginia. 

The company said in the upcoming months they are hoping to launch the service in a major U.S. metro area. 

The Hill has reached out to Walgreens for comment.