Amazon Delivery Drones Take Flight in Arizona With FAA Approval

Household essentials, beauty products, office supplies, and more will be eligible for delivery in under one hour.

Wednesday, November 06, 2024 at 01:12 PM ET

Verified

Amazon Prime Air received FAA approval to fly its MK-30 drone beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of pilots, allowing it to cover more ground. [Courtesy: Amazon Prime Air]

Key Takeaways:

Amazon Prime Air has launched drone delivery in the Phoenix metro area, utilizing its new, quieter, and more durable MK-30 drone, which received FAA approval for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
This new service delivers items weighing five pounds or less within an hour and introduces an updated operational model, deploying drones directly from same-day delivery hubs.
While Amazon plans international expansion to the U.K. and Italy, its current drone delivery volume significantly lags behind competitors like Walmart and Google's Wing.

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Drone delivery has taken off in the Valley of the Sun.

Prime Air, Amazon’s beleaguered drone business, on Tuesday said it launched delivery of more than 50,000 items—from household essentials like toothpaste to last-minute office supplies—in the West Valley region of the Phoenix metro area. Deliveries will be made using the company’s new MK-30 drone, which it says is smaller, lighter, and more durable than the model it flies in its other U.S. market, College Station, Texas.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.