Amazon Says Prime Air Has Completed Just 100 Drone Deliveries

So far, the long-awaited service pales in comparison to US rivals.

Monday, May 22, 2023 at 05:48 PM ET

Verified

Amazon Prime Air’s MK27-2 drone (pictured) is currently making deliveries in California and Texas. [Photo: Amazon]

Key Takeaways:

Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service is significantly underperforming, having completed only 100 deliveries since its December launch, far short of its 10,000 target for 2023 and trailing key rivals.
The primary reason for Prime Air's struggles is stringent FAA regulatory restrictions, which deny expanded flight permissions (e.g., beyond visual line of sight, over people) due to safety concerns and past drone accidents.
Competitors like Zipline and Alphabet's Wing have achieved far greater success and delivery volumes by securing broader FAA approvals that permit more expansive and flexible drone operations.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Amazon’s drone delivery dream isn’t dead, but it may be time for the firm to reassess its strategy.

Last week, the e-commerce giant told CNBC that its Prime Air drone delivery service—which currently serves a smattering of households in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas—has completed just 100 deliveries since launching in late December. Per internal company projections, the firm in January was targeting 10,000 deliveries by the end of 2023.