Iceland gets an on-demand drone delivery service

An Israeli autonomous drone delivery company has started commercial operations in Reykjavik, Iceland, which will see online food orders delivered within minutes across the city.

Flytrex has become one of the first in the world to offer the delivery service by drone on demand.

The drones will fly more than 2.5 kilometers (1.6 mile) across a large bay that separates two parts of the city, delivering for online marketplace Aha.

The drones will drop off the goods at a designated landing pad where they will then be taken to their final destination by foot, scooter or car. The companies hope to receive regulatory approval by the end of the year to transport orders straight to customers’ backyards.

“Drone-based disruption is only taking off, with Iceland as its runway,” Chief Executive Officer Yariv Bash said in a statement.

Using drones will save Aha 60 percent of delivery costs to that area of Reykjavik, where it serves 8,000 customers, he said. Currently the drones make up to 10 deliveries a day, and will double the number by the end of next week.