Mobility
Amazon.com Inc. this week said it plans to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service to nearly 500 cities and towns in the U.S. by the end of 2026, a sixfold increase from its current footprint. The expansion would give tens of millions of customers access to drone delivery, which currently serves cities across seven states: Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. Amazon also plans to launch the service soon in the Chicago; Syracuse, N.Y.; Cleveland; Atlanta; and Boise, Idaho, metro areas, with more communities to come later this year.
Prime Air uses drones to deliver groceries, electronics, cosmetics, medications, and household products. Customers within a 7.5-mi. (12-km) radius of the fulfillment center can have eligible items delivered by drone. The service can deliver nearly all items 5 lb. (2.2 kg) or less that fit in a large shoebox, and more than 60% of the items customers are most frequently purchasing from Amazon are eligible, the company claimed. Orders arrive in as fast as 30 minutes, with most orders arriving around 60 minutes after checkout.
“Customers already turn to Amazon for fast same- and next-day delivery, and Prime Air provides them an even speedier option when they need it, with deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes,” stated David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air. “We’ve already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to customers by drone this year, and by the end of 2026, we plan to reach customers in nearly 500 cities and towns. We’re pairing the convenience of ultrafast drone delivery with the low prices and selection customers love about Amazon.”
Amazon isn’t just expanding Prime Air across the U.S. The company recently launched Prime Air in Darlington, U.K., marking the first time the drone delivery service has been available to its customers outside the U.S. Drone delivery is integrated into the existing Amazon delivery network, allowing customers to choose drone delivery for eligible items at checkout.
Source: The Robot Report