Updated / Friday, 19 Jun 2026 15:16
Manna has completed more than 300,000 deliveries since it was founded
Drone aerial delivery operator Manna has announced it is ceasing delivery operations in Ireland to concentrate its growth on the US, UK and other international markets.
In a statement released this afternoon, the company said "the lack of a clear national framework has left the sector reliant on local planning processes and created uncertainty around the infrastructure required to support drone delivery at scale".
It said the US, UK, China and the UAE are "demonstrating rapid regulatory progress and strong commercial momentum".
"As a result, Manna has decided to concentrate its investment, talent and operational resources in markets where large-scale drone delivery is now a reality," said the statement.
The announcement comes after Manna's plans for a drone aerial delivery hub in Dundrum, Dublin, were refused yesterday.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council refused planning permission to Manna Drones Ltd for its planned hub on lands to the rear of Holy Cross Church in Dundrum.
The proposal faced local opposition, including one objection from Monsignor Paul Callan from Holy Cross Church And Pastoral Centre in Dundrum which stated that "the prospect of a drone take-off during mass is simply unprecedented and disrespectful".
Manna said today's announcement also means that a "planned expansion and future employment growth at local operational delivery hubs in Ireland will not proceed at this time".
"This decision does not affect Manna's continued investment in Ireland, which will remain the company's primary base for research and development, engineering, robotics, regulatory affairs, customer operations and corporate functions."
Manna employs nearly 200 people in Ireland.
The company has completed more than 300,000 drone deliveries and partnered with over 120 Irish businesses since it was founded in 2019.
Manna stressed that today's decision "represents a strategic pause rather than a permanent withdrawal of delivery operations from Ireland".
"Should an appropriate national policy framework be established, Manna would welcome the opportunity to resume delivery operations in Ireland," said the statement.
"This is a difficult decision because Ireland is where Manna was founded, built and first proven," said Bobby Healy, founder and CEO of Manna.
"We are incredibly grateful to the communities, businesses, customers and employees who helped show that drone delivery can work at scale.
"However, in the absence of a clear national pathway to scale commercial drone delivery, we have to focus our investment in markets where that pathway is now clear."
Recent accounts showed that expansion costs at the Irish arm of Manna Drones resulted in pre-tax losses rising to €16.9m in 2024.
Accounts filed by Manna Drones Ltd show that the losses of €16.9m for 2024 were a 37% increase on the post-tax losses of €12.33m for 2023.
The firm revenues from drone deliveries increased more than six fold from €20,439 in 2023 to €136,004 in 2024 while revenues for 2025 are expected to be a multiple of what was recorded in 2024.
In 2024, the firm upped its R&D spend to €2.37m from €2.1m while another contributor to the increased losses was a foreign exchange loss of €2.5m compared to a foreign exchange gain of €808,073 in the prior year.
The accounts were signed off by the directors, including CEO Bobby Healy, on 11 June.
Read the full article at RTÉ News →📄Source document: Manna's Statement
3 reports
RTÉ NewsState / PublicCenter2 days agoDrone delivery company Manna has announced it will stop operating in Ireland, citing the absence of a clear national regulatory framework as a key factor. The decision follows the rejection of its proposed drone hub in Dundrum, Dublin, by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council due to local opposition, including objections from religious figures concerned about potential disruptions during church services. Manna plans to focus its efforts on markets such as the US, UK, China, and UAE, where regulatory progress and commercial opportunities appear stronger.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly favoring any side. It reports on Manna’s business decision, citing the company’s statement and external factors like local opposition and regulatory challenges. There is no evident editorializing, loaded language, or one-sided sourcing.
Official sources cited
- organisation Manna's Statement
- government Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Decision
TheJournal.ieIndependentCenter2 days agoDrone delivery company Manna has announced it will cease its delivery operations in Ireland due to the lack of a clear national policy framework for commercial drone delivery. The company stated it will focus on markets where large-scale drone delivery is already established, such as the US, UK, and UAE. Manna emphasized that this is a 'strategic pause' and not a permanent exit from Ireland, with plans to maintain its Irish base for research, engineering, robotics, and corporate functions.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly favoring any political perspective. It reports on Manna's business decision based on regulatory challenges and does not include biased language, one-sided sourcing, or editorializing.
Irish IndependentIndependentCenter2 days agoThe article explains how Manna, a drone delivery service, operates. It details the process of drone deliveries, including how packages are transported, the technology used, and the logistics involved in ensuring safe and efficient delivery.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a factual explanation of how a drone delivery service functions without taking a stance on any political issue. The content focuses on technological processes and logistics rather than policy, ideology, or partisan issues.
Ireland