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Amazon’s Prime Air drone deliveries have resumed after a two-month hiatus, as confirmed by the company to CNBC on Monday. The resumption of service affects two test locations in the U.S.: College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona.
The halt occurred in January when Amazon identified potential safety issues relating to the altitude sensors on its MK30 drones. Dust particles from the arid environments in these areas posed risks by affecting the drones’ altitude readings.
Despite suspending operations, Amazon reported no safety incidents stemming from the altitude sensor concerns. The company opted for a temporary pause to develop and implement a software update aimed at rectifying the issue. As of last week, Amazon completed this update and received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to continue drone operations.
Amazon spokesperson Av Zammit noted that since returning to the skies, the Prime Air drones have seen a significant surge in customer interest. They are also demonstrating fast delivery times; for instance, David Carbon, Vice President and General Manager of Prime Air, shared on LinkedIn that a drone in Arizona managed to deliver a customer’s order of ZzzQuil in just over 31 minutes. However, the exact distance covered was not disclosed.
As part of its ongoing testing, Amazon reported that the MK30 drones have successfully completed over 5,000 test flights, accumulating more than 900 hours of flight time. The company highlighted improved features for the MK30, including quieter operation and enhanced distance capabilities compared to earlier models.
Looking back, Amazon unveiled its drone delivery vision to the public in December 2013, when founder Jeff Bezos showcased the potential for drones to expedite package delivery. Today, Amazon lists around 60,000 products eligible for drone delivery near its testing sites, each weighing up to five pounds and fitting into its standard Prime Air packaging. Residents within range can expect deliveries in under an hour.
Despite its advancements, Amazon’s drone delivery program ranks third in the market, behind Zipline—which partners with Walmart and plans to deliver food for Chipotle—and Alphabet’s Wing, which also serves Walmart’s local deliveries. According to reports, Amazon aims to achieve annual drone deliveries of 500 million packages by 2030.
However, not all reactions to the drone service have been positive. Residents in College Station, Texas, have expressed concerns regarding the noise generated by the drones. Some have reported that the noise resembles “chainsaws” or “a hundred swarms of bees,” highlighting the challenges that come with integrating these new technologies into everyday life.
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