A year ago, Amazon set clear targets around its drone delivery service, hoping to expand beyond the UK. The goal was to deliver via drones to homes in the UK and Italy by the end of 2024.
With high expectations, Amazon started working on its ambitious goals, which are also partly dependent on clearance from authorities.
Here’s what happened in the last few months:
In August, aviation authorities cleared Amazon to test-fly drones beyond a human controller’s line of sight in the UK.
This month, Amazon completed an initial test of using delivery drones in Italy. Amazon “continues to work with Italian authorities” to meet all the requirements for delivering to homes with drones in early 2025.
For now, the e-commerce giant offers drone deliveries in the US, in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas.
Amazon’s drone capacity
In November, Amazon Prime Air launched its delivery drone service in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona and College Station, Texas.
Their new MK30 drone can now travel two times farther than Amazon’s previous drones.
And the deal breaker – it is “significantly quieter.” The noise has been a bone of contention for many community members, who complained about the buzz around the drones.
If you live near Amazon’s fulfillment center in Tolleson, Arizona, a drone could take less than an hour to reach your destination.
Engineers believe this new design will make it possible to adhere to the “stringent requirements” of aviation authorities and reach half a billion customers annually. Stephen Wells, chief project engineer for the Prime Air team says, “We designed it with aerospace levels of reliability and redundancy.”
Did Amazon deliver on its promise?
While drone deliveries have progressed with regulatory approvals and technological improvements, they faced implementation challenges that caused a holdback.
If it wasn’t late approval from the authorities, it was the concerns from the community and higher operational costs.
Amazon has made commendable advancements toward its delivery goals for 2024. Drone deliveries are still in the developmental phase and require further refinement to achieve full-scale success.
NOW READ: Phoenix’s wait is over: Amazon’s drone deliveries begin
Share this article
About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
