US Delivery Giant Establishes New Branch for Drone Shipment

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Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. subsidiary / səbˈsɪd iˌɛr i / (n) – a company controlled by another company
    Example:

    Because of his good performance, he was promoted as the CEO of his company’s subsidiary.


  2. courier / ˈkɜr i ər / (n) – a business that sends goods or packages from one person or place to another
    Example:

    My coworker sent some important files to me through a courier.


  3. patronize / ˈpeɪ trəˌnaɪz / (v) – to be a frequent customer of a business
    Example:

    Offering special coupons can be an effective way to make customers patronize our shop.


  4. give (someone/something) the go-ahead / gɪv ðəˈgoʊ əˌhɛd / (idiom) – to grant permission or authority to proceed
    Example:

    The local government gave the construction company the go-ahead to tear down the building on Monday.


  5. branch out / bræntʃ aʊt / (phrasal) – to expand or extend to new activities and services or new clients
    Example:

    It was a risk for the bookstore to branch out to selling movie CDs and DVDs.


Article

Read the text below.

American shipment company United Parcel Services (UPS) established a subsidiary devoted to drone delivery operations.


Recently, the subsidiary, named UPS Flight Forward, started working in cooperation with a startup company to deliver packages using drones. Its focus is on sending medical supplies that are needed for laboratories. In the past months, the courier has been delivering laboratory packages within WakeMed, a hospital in Raleigh /ˈrɔ li/, North Carolina. UPS Executive Bala Ganesh said that the company will also offer its services to other hospitals in the area.


UPS’s drone delivery is the company’s answer to Google and Amazon’s efforts to provide a similar service. However, UPS Flight Forward’s service specifically targets urgent-need deliveries, which none of its competitors have done.


The company believes that a lot of hospitals and laboratories will patronize UPS’s services, given that delivery via drone is much faster and cheaper than regular shipping methods. According to UPS, the drone delivery services it offers may even be the key to saving lives during emergency situations.


In an effort to strengthen its operations, UPS Flight Forward has recently applied for certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. The company is appealing to the Aviation Administration to give it the go-ahead to operate in more areas in the United States and to make deliveries even at night.


If the certification is granted to UPS, the company plans to branch out to delivering packages to factories. The company expects to profit from factories by providing speedy delivery of important things like parts for critical machinery.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• What do you think are the advantages of UPS’s strategy to focus on delivering urgent needs using drones? Discuss.
• Do you think the Federal Aviation Administration should give UPS Flight Forward permission to operate in more areas and at night? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• What do you think are the challenges of running a drone delivery service? Discuss.
• In your opinion, would urgent-need drone delivery services have a market in your country? Explain.