How Drones Transform Last-Mile Delivery

In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, Bobby Healy, Founder and CEO of Manna Drone Delivery, joins Simon Lehmann for a grounded discussion on why last-mile delivery is structurally broken and how autonomous aerial delivery could reshape logistics, cities, and the short-term rental guest experience.

Bobby brings decades of experience building travel and infrastructure businesses. Today, he leads Europe’s largest commercial drone delivery operator, running real operations at scale across Europe and the United States in dense urban environments.

From airline software to car rental distribution and now drone delivery, his perspective cuts across regulation, economics, and operational reality.

In this conversation, we discuss:

● Why last-mile delivery is structurally broken and constrained by road-based economics

● How drone delivery changes the unit economics of logistics at scale

● Why regulation is required infrastructure, not a blocker to innovation

● Where payload limits, flight availability, and use cases define what drones can realistically deliver

● Why drone delivery only works if it replaces road delivery rather than supplementing it

● How autonomous delivery intersects with hospitality and short-term rental guest experience

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