Manna will employ 1,000 workers at a new operations and manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, marking the drone delivery company's first production footprint in the United States and its largest workforce commitment to date. The Irish startup, which has logged over 250,000 commercial deliveries across Europe, plans to manufacture its fixed-wing delivery drones domestically rather than importing them from overseas suppliers. The Tulsa facility will handle both assembly and ongoing flight operations, creating a model the company intends to replicate in other American metro areas.
The decision to build rather than lease signals a significant strategic pivot for Manna, which previously relied on contract manufacturing. Bobby Healy, the company's founder and CEO, has been vocal about the need for hardware-software integration in autonomous delivery systems, arguing that companies without direct control over their airframes cannot optimize for the rapid loading cycles and high-frequency routes that make drone delivery economically viable. Manna's aircraft use a tethered winch system to lower packages directly to customers rather than landing, reducing delivery time to under three minutes per stop in dense urban environments. That approach contrasts sharply with quadcopter designs from competitors like Zipline and Wing, which require larger landing zones or parachute drops.
Tulsa won the facility over several competing cities through a package of incentives tied to job creation and infrastructure development, according to local economic development officials. The city has positioned itself as a hub for aerospace innovation, leveraging its existing manufacturing workforce and proximity to established aviation suppliers. Manna's presence adds to a growing cluster of unmanned systems companies in the region, including Oklahoma-based manufacturers serving military and agricultural markets. The company expects to begin drone assembly in late 2026, with initial operations focused on validating production processes before ramping to full-scale output. Oklahoma's existing FAA Part 135 air carrier certification infrastructure, built around its traditional aviation industry, could accelerate Manna's path to expanded commercial operations under beyond-visual-line-of-sight waivers.
The timing coincides with broader momentum in drone delivery regulation. The FAA has issued more than 40 Part 135 certifications for drone operators since 2024, and the agency is developing a framework for routine urban operations that would eliminate the need for case-by-case waivers. Manna already holds certifications in Ireland and the United Kingdom, where it operates commercial routes for clients including Flipdish and Just Eat. The company claims a 98.7% on-time delivery rate across its European network, a figure that includes weather delays and temporary no-fly zones. Each Manna drone can carry up to 4.4 pounds over a maximum range of 12 miles, parameters that position the system for restaurant delivery and small-package logistics rather than general e-commerce. Industry analysts note that viable unit economics require delivery densities above 15 stops per square mile, a threshold currently met in fewer than 50 U.S. cities.
What to Watch: Track Manna's progress toward FAA Part 135 certification for Tulsa operations, expected before the end of 2026. Watch for announcements of anchor customers in the restaurant and quick-commerce sectors, which will determine route density and operational tempo. Monitor workforce scaling at the Tulsa facility through Q1 2027 as an indicator of production ramp timelines. Look for Manna's selection of second and third U.S. cities, which will reveal the company's geographic expansion strategy and whether it prioritizes Sunbelt metros with favorable weather profiles or denser coastal markets with higher delivery volumes.
