MightyFly To Launch Medical Drone Deliveries in California

MightyFly has signed a $50 million deal with a California-based healthcare diagnostics firm to offer same-day deliveries of medical test kits using autonomous, hybrid-electric cargo freighters. Under the five-year contract, the delivery services will launch in California and Nevada before expanding nationwide. 

Announcing the partnership on October 2, MightyFly noted that it represents one of the largest commercial agreements to introduce autonomous eVTOL aircraft into healthcare logistics operations. The partners intend to utilize MightyFly’s Cento aircraft to deliver test kits to major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, CVS, and Kroger, as well as other pharmacies, clinics, and educational institutions. Those customers can also use the aircraft to quickly ship tests off to laboratories for diagnostic testing.

“Our mission is to provide efficient access to goods. In healthcare, that means enabling the most expeditious, accessible, and affordable care,” said MightyFly CEO Manal Habib. “With our Cento aircraft, we will deliver resilient, cost-efficient, and reliable expedited logistics at scale. With its 1,000-mile range and cargo capacities in the hundreds of items, our aircraft will transform expedited logistics and healthcare access.”

According to MightyFly, the Cento cargo freighter will be able to deliver 100 pounds of payload up to three times faster than traditional delivery drones, traveling at a cruise speed of 150 mph. The company claims the aerial logistics service could lower operating costs by 70% compared to legacy logistics services that rely on airlines and ground transportation. MightyFly’s aircraft also reduces emissions by up to 64% compared to ground transportation and 92% compared to other small aircraft.

“With this contract and the momentum of our recent achievements, MightyFly is leading the next stage of autonomous aerial logistics, moving beyond small drones to transporting large volumes of goods at scale,” Habib added. “This is just the beginning, and healthcare is the first step. Our hybrid eVTOL platform will redefine expedited logistics across retail, defense, manufacturing, and commercial supply chains worldwide.”

MightyFly is developing a family of cargo drones with payloads ranging from 100 to 500 pounds. In addition to medical logistics, MightyFly has been evaluating military applications for its autonomous freighters in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force. The company unveiled the Cento aircraft in January 2024 and has been testing it at an FAA-approved flight corridor in California. It expects to achieve a full transition flight this year, demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to transition between vertical lift and horizontal cruise flight.

Meanwhile, other eVTOL developers are also fleshing out plans to use their respective aircraft for medical logistics. Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang recently used its uncrewed VT-20 eVTOL aircraft—a derivative of its pilotless two-passenger EH216-S—to deliver medical samples between the cities of Zhuhai and Guangzhou, covering a distance of just over 45 nm in 55 minutes. Swiss cargo drone manufacturer Dufour Aerospace has also partnered with a U.S. helicopter operator Areion (formerly Spright) to deliver medical supplies using Dufour's Aero2 hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft. Vermont-based Beta Technologies is also offering its piloted, all-electric Alia aircraft for aeromedical and logistics services, and  the company has been building out an aircraft charging network with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.