FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: UPS’ aggressive approach to drones
DETAILS: UPS (NYSE:UPS) has embraced an aggressive approach to deploying drones for delivery services. In 2019, the company created UPS Flight Forward, an FAA-certified drone airline. Flight Forward already has revenue-generating operations in the health care sector. So what does the future hold?
SPEAKER: Kevin Wasik, head of business development, UPS Flight Forward
BIO: Wasik has been with UPS for 14 years. Before becoming the head of business development at UPS Flight Forward in 2020, he served in a variety of roles that covered health care, e-commerce and sales.
KEY QUOTES FROM WASIK:
“We think speed and convenience of drone delivery is like no other. If you want a same-day delivery via ground courier today, it’s likely you’re going to be issued a three-hour delivery window. With drones, we’re going to deliver in 30 minutes or less or give consumers an option of a 30-minute delivery window of their choosing.”
“We see an opportunity to improve the UPS small package network with fully electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft like Beta. … We can bypass our hub-and-spoke network to move these urgent payloads wherever they have to go. And with 20 million packages per day, in our network, we have an up-close and personal view. We know where those pain points are and we know how this new technology can be used to improve service for our customers.”
“If I had one ask for the FAA, it would be to kind of structure a new department dedicated to UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems). That would help accelerate our work. But for now, we have great relationships throughout the organization.”
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