DRONE-BASED DELIVERY IN LOGISTICS

This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed and policy literature (2025–2026) on drone-based last-mile delivery, emphasizing economic viability, life-cycle environmental impacts, and regulatory constraints. A structured search across Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and selected policy portals yielded 32 studies for in-depth analysis. Results show that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide meaningful operational advantages — notably delivery speed and reach for lightweight and urgent shipments — while environmental benefits are conditional on operational context and energy sources. Techno-economic studies indicate drones are financially attractive in niche applications (medical, emergency, remote delivery), but high capital expenditures, infrastructure needs, and regulatory fragmentation limit scale-up. The review concludes with concrete policy and business recommendations and highlights priority research directions, including integrated LCA–TEA–network modeling and large-scale real-world pilots.