Wing and KDDI Partner to Launch Drone Delivery in Japan by End of 2027
· TexaHub · Drones, Regional Tech Ecosystems
Alphabet's Wing signed a partnership with KDDI and KDDI Smart Drone on October 27 to start drone delivery of groceries and daily goods, including Lawson products, in parts of Japan during 2027.
Lawson Products First
Wing Aviation, the Alphabet subsidiary, signed a strategic partnership with Japanese telecom operator KDDI and its unit KDDI Smart Drone on October 27 to launch drone delivery in Japan. The companies plan to begin delivering groceries and daily goods, including products from convenience store chain Lawson, in some areas during 2027, and then add products and service areas with municipalities and local partners. [1] [2]
KDDI said the service is aimed at people who struggle to reach shops and at the shortage of last-mile delivery drivers. It cited a 2020 estimate by Japan's agriculture ministry that about 9.04 million people live in areas with difficult access to food. Wing pointed to Japan's "2024 logistics problem", linked to a shrinking working-age population and fewer delivery drivers. [1] [2]
Division of Roles
Wing brings its aircraft and delivery technology. It said it had completed more than one million residential deliveries as of October 2026 and makes thousands of deliveries a day across five US markets, typically within 30 minutes of an order. KDDI provides the mobile network for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights and drone ports it has been installing nationwide, and KDDI Smart Drone runs a drone academy at more than 20 locations in Japan. [1]
Sources
[1] KDDI and Wing Partner to Bring Drone Delivery to Japan — KDDI Newsroom
[2] KDDI and Wing Partner to Bring Drone Delivery to Japan — Wing