Foodpanda, Pakistan’s top food delivery company, and also the country’s leading e-commerce platform overall, has announced a trial project to test meal delivery with a customized drone. Conducted in cooperation with the office of the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, the test flight of the drone, named Pandafly, took place in the F-9 Park Islamabad.
A food package weighing roughly 2.5 kgs was fetched from a restaurant at one end of the park by a Foodpanda rider and loaded into the drone’s storage bag. The drone subsequently delivered the item at the other end of the park, where it was collected by another rider and distributed to youngsters invited from Sweet Homes for the occasion.
The usage of innovative technologies by Foodpanda in the future will entail speedier deliveries across wider distances. Further clients living in peri-urban and distant locations would notably benefit, as they have limited alternatives of food outlets in their local area, and with drone delivery, they will be able to purchase meals from big urban centers as well. The last mile of delivery by drone will be completed by a Foodpanda rider. Also to be highlighted is that this is the first of its kind commercial drone produced in Pakistan for this purpose and Foodpanda is therefore aiding
growth of indigenous technology.
Speaking on the pilot launch occasion, Nauman Sikandar Mirza, the CEO of Foodpanda noted, “Foodpanda’s core ethos is to constantly innovate, stretch the limits, and leverage technology to find great solutions for meeting the evolving needs of the people. Before we start actual drone deliveries for our customers, there are still many factors that need to be thoroughly assessed and locked in, including technical, operational, and legal matters and we are rigorously addressing all these. The successful test flight and delivery today has been tremendously encouraging and confirms we are on the proper flight path!”
The Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, and his office engaged closely with Foodpanda for the pilot project and the DC was also the Chief Guest at the inauguration ceremony. Expressing his thoughts, he remarked,
“e-commerce and the use of technology to serve the citizens is definitely the future, and the Islamabad civil administration stands committed to supporting anyone who takes the initiative to provide greater convenience and facilities for the public. We wish Foodpanda all the best in now turning this trial initiative into a regular operational service.”
The launch ceremony was also attended by dignitaries, representatives of the media, some celebrities and social media influencers.