Amazon drone delivery is expanding to Arizona later this year
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's an Amazon delivery drone
🤖 Amazon is expanding its drone delivery service in the US
💨 Customers can expect same-day deliveries, often within an hour
📆 Amazon launched its drone delivery service in 2022
🌧️ It’s working on a new drone that can handle more adverse weather conditions
Amazon is bringing its Prime Air drone delivery service to the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area later this year, bringing same-day deliveries to more customers.
Amazon began its drone delivery service in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California in 2022, and says it has delivered thousands of items to customers in less than an hour.
The company also began delivering prescription medications in partnership with Amazon Pharmacy last year, and it’s now adding a new location for the next stage of the program’s evolution.
In an announcement on Amazon’s website, the sales giant said that the drones will be deployed from facilities next to its same-day delivery site in Tolleson, allowing it to fulfill, sort, and deliver products all from one site so it can get packages to customers even quicker.
Amazon is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local officials in Tolleson to obtain all the necessary permissions to conduct drone deliveries, and once it’s received the necessary approvals, it will begin reaching out to customers in the West Valley so they can receive drone deliveries once the service goes live.
“As Amazon embarks on the national expansion of its Amazon Drone Delivery Program, we're proud to have their innovative presence in our community. By bringing this service to new communities, they're not just delivering goods; they're delivering opportunities and economic growth for all,” said Juan F. Rodriguez, mayor of Tolleson. “Amazon’s commitment to innovation exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives our city forward.”
“This kind of delivery is the future, and it’s exciting that it will be starting in the Phoenix Metro Area,” said Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix. “The shift toward zero-emission package delivery will help us reduce local pollution and further cement our city as a hotbed for the innovative technology of tomorrow.”
Even though Amazon is expanding its drone delivery service, it’s shutting down its delivery site in Lockeford. It says that all current employees will be offered opportunities at other sites and that customers in Lockeford will continue to be served via other delivery methods.
New Amazon delivery drone
Amazon also announced that it’s conducting test flights of its new MK30 drone, which includes “innovative, safety-critical features that allow it to deliver packages to customers with smaller backyards and in more densely populated suburban areas”.
Amazon says the MK30 is quieter and can fly twice as far as its current drone. It’s also able to deal with more diverse weather conditions, including light rain, while the current drone only flies during clear weather.
The MK30 drone is expected to start making deliveries to customers later this year.