It’s St. Patrick’s Day today, where people use the holiday as an excuse to wear green and head to their favorite Irish pub. I may or may not be doing the same, but there are plenty of other reasons why the drone industry should be thinking of Ireland today.
2025 is proving to be a year that Ireland cements itself as a global leader in drone innovation.
From food delivery by air to major industry conferences and regulatory advancements, Ireland is quickly becoming a proving ground for urban air mobility (UAM) and advanced air mobility (AAM). For example, Just Eat Takeaway.com this month launched a partnership with Irish drone delivery giant Manna Drones Ltd. Together, they’ve launched food deliveries by drone in Dublin.
In other drone delivery news, Google-sibling company Wing has also expanded into Ireland. And lots of the industry’s leaders will be headed to Dublin in November. That’s for a huge conference called Aerial Cities 2025.
With strong government support, a thriving tech ecosystem and real-world applications already in action, 2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year in Ireland within the drone space. Here are the most important Irish drone updates you need to know.
Just Eat Takeaway.com launches drone delivery in Ireland
One of the biggest breakthroughs of the year in Ireland is drone-powered food delivery, now available in Dublin. It’s all thanks to a partnership between Just Eat Takeaway.com and Manna Drones Ltd. Manna, one of Europe’s largest drone delivery operator.
Just Eat Takeaway.com is an Amsterdam-based company that serves as a massive online food delivery marketplace throughout Europe.
The project with Manna has already completed over 165,000 successful flights, delivering everything from medical supplies to books. With this latest initiative, Manna’s drones will now transport hot meals directly to customers’ doors. Manna says customers can now have their meals flown to them in as little as three minutes. (That’s from the time the meal is loaded onto the drone.)
Related read: Liang Feng shares a day in the life as a drone delivery lead
The service operates out of local drone delivery hubs, where meals are loaded onto Manna’s lightweight, autonomous drones. Once airborne, these drones can fly up to 80 km/h (close to 50 mph), ensuring that food arrives fresh. Customers receive a notification when their order is en route. Then, they can watch as the drone lowers their meal safely to the ground using a secure tether system.
As is the case with most drone food delivery services, the teams behind the project promise that drone delivery offers no shortage of benefits. That includes convenience for customers, such as faster delivery times. Plus, taking food delivery automobiles off the road could reduce traffic congestion. Meanwhile, battery-operated drones could lower carbon emissions versus gas-powered automobiles.
Dublin to host Aerial Cities 2025
Ireland’s commitment to aerial innovation is further cemented by its selection as the host city for Aerial Cities 2025. That conference is a top-tier European summit on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). In fact, it’s set to be one of the biggest drone events of 2025.
Taking place at Dublin City Hall on November 11-12, 2025, this exclusive, invitation-only event will bring together key stakeholder. That includes government regulators shaping the future of drone policy. Also expect to see industry leaders, investors and startups from aviation, logistics and urban planning. All those folks will come together to capitalize on the aerial mobility revolution.
Aerial Cities picked Dublin as the host city due to its progressive approach to smart city development and aviation innovation.
“Dublin is a future-forward city that embraces innovation at its core,” said Eszter Kovács, CEO of DroneTalks and Aerial Cities. “Its proactive approach to urban air mobility and smart city solutions makes it the perfect setting for Aerial Cities 2025.”
What to know about Ireland’s drone-friendly regulations
Ireland’s progressive drone policies have played a crucial role in attracting international drone companies and startups. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has been actively working to create a clear and business-friendly regulatory framework for drone operations, allowing companies like Manna and Wing to scale their services.
Key regulatory advancements include:
- Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) approvals, allowing drones to operate beyond the operator’s direct line of sight, increasing operational range.
- Urban air mobility testing zones, where new drone technologies can be tested in real-world environments.
- Public-private partnerships, enabling collaboration between tech companies, local governments, and transportation agencies.
These measures have made Ireland a top destination for drone startups and large-scale aerial mobility initiatives. And there are some policy initiatives specific to Dublin, including:
- The Drone and Urban Air Mobility Strategy 2024-2029: That’s a roadmap for integrating drones and eVTOLs into Ireland’s infrastructure, which the Dublin City Council launched in May 2024.
- The Dublin Drone Innovation Partnership: This is a two-year collaboration between government, private industry and academic institutions to advance drone research and implementation. Participants include the Dublin City Council, Maynooth University, Lero (the Research Ireland Centre for Software) and the Irish Aviation Authority.
What’s next for drones in Ireland?
With all these developments, 2025 is shaping up to be Ireland’s most important year yet for drone technology. Some key areas to watch include:
Expansion of drone delivery services: As Manna and Just Eat scale their partnership, expect to see new cities added to the network. Wing’s operations in the Irish market could also intensify competition and drive further innovation.
Growing drone use in public services: Beyond food delivery, drones are being tested for medical supply transport, search-and-rescue missions and environmental monitoring in Ireland. Expect these applications to expand as drone technology becomes more integrated into public infrastructure.
The rise of eVTOL aircraft: Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — essentially flying taxis — are the next frontier in aerial mobility. With Ireland hosting Aerial Cities 2025, discussions around air taxis and drone-powered passenger transport will gain momentum.
Increased drone startup investment: With the world’s top aerial mobility experts gathering in Dublin, expect more venture capital funding and new drone startups to emerge in Ireland’s tech ecosystem.
From drone food delivery in Dublin to hosting Aerial Cities 2025, Ireland is proving itself as a leader in drone innovation. The combination of business-friendly regulations, industry investment, and government support makes Ireland one of the most exciting places for aerial mobility in 2025.
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