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Amazon begins delivering certain products via drone in Phoenix | TechCrunch

Nov 05, 2024 - techcrunch.com
Amazon has resumed its drone delivery service, Prime Air, in Phoenix, Arizona, after discontinuing it in California. The service is available to select customers in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area, offering a range of products from Amazon’s catalog that weigh 5 pounds or less. The company claims that most deliveries will be made within an hour, during daylight hours and favorable weather conditions. The deliveries will be made using Amazon's latest drone, the MK30, which has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly beyond the visual line of sight of drone operators.

Despite facing setbacks such as noise complaints, regulatory hurdles, and layoffs, Amazon is integrating its drone systems into its same-day delivery network to facilitate easier and less expensive deployments. The company has also started using the MK30 drone for deliveries in College Station, Texas, where it has been testing drone-based prescription medicine deliveries since 2023. However, there was no update on Amazon's previously announced plans to expand its drone delivery service to the U.K. and Italy by the end of 2024.

Key takeaways:

  • Amazon has started making drone deliveries to select customers in Phoenix, Arizona, with about 50,000 products available at launch.
  • The drone delivery service is available during daylight hours and in favorable weather conditions, with most deliveries expected to be completed within an hour.
  • Amazon is using its latest drone, the MK30, for deliveries, which can fly twice as far as its previous drone and is designed to operate in rainy weather.
  • Despite facing setbacks such as noise complaints and regulatory hurdles, Amazon is integrating its drone systems into its same-day delivery network to facilitate easier and less expensive deployments.
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