Walmart drone delivery coming to Tampa in latest expansion

TAMPA, Fla. - Walmart announced plans to expand its drone delivery service across six states to include 34 sites by the end of the year.

The new markets include Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Walmart said the expansion comes after completing hundreds of deliveries within a few months and a favorable response from customers.

Ryan English of FLYMOTION in Tampa said it’s exciting to see the evolution of drone technology.

"You know, drones are not just something that are futuristic. They are a technology that's here to stay. And we're going to just see it be more and more prolific in our everyday life," English said.

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Tampa is expected to be among the new locations for Walmart's drone delivery.

"What we're seeing rapidly develop with Tampa is really, you know, a key tech hub throughout the country. And the spotlight is definitely on Tampa," English said.

Walmart said for a delivery fee of $3.99, customers can order items totaling up to 10 pounds that can be in the air in as little as 30 minutes. 

According to a release, once a customer places an order, the item is fulfilled from the store, packaged, loaded into the drone, and delivered right to their yard using a cable that gently lowers the package.

A team of certified pilots, operating within FAA guidelines, will manage flight operations for deliveries.

Walmart said this gives them the ability to deliver over 1 million packages by drone in a year.