Oct 22, 2018 - Technology

Uber eyes liftoff for food-delivery drones

Uber CEO on stage

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi speaking to a journalist at the Uber Elevate Summit. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Ride-sharing giant Uber is hiring an operations executive to help roll out a commercially-viable fleet of food-delivery drones by 2021, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The big picture: A spokesman told the WSJ the program is "still in very early days," but Uber's push to take to the skies reflects its efforts to diversify beyond just ride-hailing. Last week, the company announced it would be adding a new tractor-trailer rental business as it gears up for a 2019 IPO that could reportedly be worth as much as $120 billion.

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