New Delhi, July 30 -- SAN FRANCISCO - Most technology companies building autonomous delivery networks have done it by partnering with specialists. DoorDash went a different route. On Tuesday the company announced DoorDash Air, its own in-house drone delivery business, and confirmed it has received Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, a requirement to operate a commercial air service in the United States.

The announcement from DoorDash Labs, the company's internal innovation unit, reframes what DoorDash is. The company that spent a decade connecting customers to couriers via a smartphone app is now building the infrastructure to replace those couriers with aircraft it operates itself. The FAA certif...