BLACKSBURG, Va. – A first-of-its-kind drone delivery service is expected to start in the New River Valley in the coming months.
“It’s a whole new form of transportation of goods so we're just thrilled,” said Mark Blanks, director of the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership.
People living in Blacksburg and Christiansburg will be the first in the country to have drones hovering over their doorsteps.
“I think this means that, first of all, we're on the leading edge in the country of a new technology that has the potential to impact everybody's life in a very positive way,” Blanks said.
The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership has worked with the drone delivery company Wing for years and now the service is finally getting ready for takeoff.
“We did some tests where it was a 17-minute drive and we delivered in less than two minutes, so it's amazing how fast it can happen,” Blanks said.
The service will also give local businesses new opportunities, sending everything from meals to medicine through the air in a matter of minutes.
It’s not clear when exactly the new service will take flight.