More than a decade after Amazon first showcased its vision for drone-based deliveries, the company is preparing to take Prime Air to a much wider US market. Amazon said it plans to expand the service to about 500 cities and towns by the end of the year, compared with 11 locations today that serve several nearby communities.
The company currently operates drone deliveries from locations including Papillion, Nebraska, and Ruskin, Florida, and plans to expand to Syracuse, New York, and areas near Cleveland, among others. Each delivery hub can serve multiple communities within a radius of about 7.5 miles.
Amazon has redesigned its Prime Air drones several times since 2013. Earlier models landed before releasing packages, while the current MK30 model hovers a few feet above the ground and drops deliveries.
A drone delivery costs $4.99, while Prime members pay $2 less. The fee is waived for orders worth at least $50.
The wider rollout will require regulatory approval in each community, often involving local council hearings and resident feedback. Amazon has said it has approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate in most parts of the US.
Local concerns have focused on noise, safety, privacy and bird protection. At a planning meeting in Nampa, Idaho, Amazon executive Sam Bailey faced about an hour of questions before the board unanimously approved the rollout.
Bailey said drones would be audible for about 20 seconds during descent and departure, at a noise level below that of a lawnmower. “It’s a brief experience,” he said. “Albeit it’s a new innovation so it’s going to seem different but not any different than a delivery truck coming down your street.”
He said the service could benefit older adults, parents dealing with sick children and people who need forgotten ingredients for meals.
Amazon says its onboard cameras are used only for navigation. However, its drones have faced some safety incidents, including a collision involving 2 drones and a crane in suburban Arizona in October. The incident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
At a March hearing in Richardson, Texas, a resident raised concerns about persistent drone noise. Amazon said it had adjusted flight heights and routes to reduce disruption.
One council member summed up the wider challenge: “This technology is inevitable. What we need to do with all new technology and all new formats of technology is to find ways to work with it and make changes along the way.”
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