Big Macs may soon be flying overhead in San Diego, carried by specially crafted drones developed by Uber’s flight arm, Uber Elevate.

The company announced its food delivery trial program more than a year ago, but now says it’s about ready for commercial launch as soon as this summer. And they’re starting in sunny San Diego, where the weather is generally mild enough for drone flight.

To start, the ride-hailing giant will be delivering McDonald’s fast food, but plans to include other Uber Eats restaurant partners later this year.

Uber won’t be sending buzzing drones directly to your door, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news this week. Instead, Uber will send the drones to designated “safe landing zones” where human couriers will pick up the food and bring it to your door. The company might also land the drones on parked Uber cars (tagged with QR codes), which will carry the goods to their final destinations.


Uber’s initial launch area will be near San Diego State University, with plans to expand to other parts of the city once the first testing phase is complete.

The drone delivery option could significantly cut down wait times, the company said. For a delivery 1.5 miles away, ground transportation averages 21 minutes; drones can make the trip in about seven minutes.

1 / 3 Uber to deliver McDonald’s to San Diegans via drones this summer. ((Courtesy of Uber)) 2 / 3 Uber to deliver McDonald’s to San Diegans via drones this summer. ((Courtesy of Uber)) 3 / 3 Uber to deliver McDonald’s to San Diegans via drones this summer. (Courtesy of Uber)

Uber Elevate is developing a custom drone that can fly up to 70 miles per hour, which they plan to roll out later this year.


For now, the delivery service will mirror normal Uber Eats delivery pricing, which can range up to $8.50 in San Diego.

Uber’s drone delivery in San Diego is dependent on approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA. In 2018, the FAA designated San Diego as one of 10 locations in the U.S. where commercial drone services can be tested.

The San Diego rollout of drone food delivery will help determine Uber’s next move. Three years from now, the company hopes to offer drone food deliveries in several markets.


Luke Fischer, head of flight operations at Uber Elevate, told Bloomberg that he’s confident the program will revolutionize the fast food industry. He imagines a future in which drones will line up at commissary kitchens — big industrial kitchens shared by several restaurant brands — to pick up deliveries embedded with scannable QR codes.

In an emailed statement to the U-T on Wednesday, Fischer said the company has been “working closely with the FAA” to ensure Uber is meeting all the necessary requirements and prioritizing safety.

“From there, our goal is to expand Uber Eats drone delivery so we can provide more options to more people at the tap of a button,” Fischer said. “We believe that Uber is uniquely positioned to take on this challenge as we’re able to leverage the Uber Eats network of restaurant partners and delivery partners as well as the aviation experience and technology of Uber Elevate.”

Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is bullish on this new arm of the company.


“Uber can’t just be about cars,” Khosrowshahi said at a company conference last year. “It has to be about mobility. It’s my personal belief that a key to solving urban mobility is flying burgers, in any city. We need flying burgers.”

Uber is not setting an exact date for when the service will be available in San Diego until it gets the green light from the FAA.

