Successful test in Auckland and New Zealand paves the way for Domino's to deliver pizzas by drone.

The Domino's pizza chain is to start delivering orders by drone later in 2016. The announcement came after it successfully demonstrated how the service will work in Auckland,

New Zealand. With the test flight a success, Domino's hopes to beat rivals Amazon and Google, also known as Alphabet, to be the first to deliver goods via a flying drone.

Aviation authorities in the UK, US, Britain and New Zealand have been working to adjust their rules to accommodate the low-altitude flights.

Domino's chief executive Don Meij said: "We've always said that it doesn't make sense to have a two tonne machine delivering a two kilogram order," suggesting he hopes to see the delivery drones replace the cars and trucks Domino's currently uses.

New Zealand leads the way in commercial drone deliveries, having granted companies permission to test delivery drones in 2015; it was the world's first country to do so.

"Our enabling laws and regulation means we have the ideal environment," said New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges.