Domino's Now Delivering Pizza by Drone

Pizza raining from the sky may seem like the stuff of fantasies, but thanks to Domino's it’s now reality. The technology-hungry chain is now delivering pizza by drone in New Zealand.

The chain officially launched autonomous deliveries in Auckland today; the service is currently only available to "select customer homes," but will be expanded in the near future with the goal of delivering pizzas within 10 minutes of ordering. The pizza drones are constructed with the help of 3D printing, and lower food to hungry customers on the ground via tether.

The company's international division teamed up with Nevada-based drone technology company Flirtey to execute this feat. Sadly, it could be a while before pizza-by-drone makes it to America: The Federal Aviation Administration’s new drone regulations took effect in August and make it legal for U.S. businesses to operate drones without a pilot's license, making it easier, faster, and cheaper for companies take to the skies — but the new regulations still require drone operators to keep their fleet within their line of sight, meaning delivering pizzas a few miles away would be impossible.

Meanwhile, Domino's continues to slay the competition in the delivery technology arena: Earlier this year it unveiled unmanned pizza robots that can hold up to 10 pizzas and have a 20-mile delivery radius. Will human delivery drivers soon be obsolete?

Watch Domino's first drone delivery in Auckland in the video below:

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