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Amazon has resumed its drone delivery service in two U.S. states after a hiatus that spanned several months, as confirmed by the company.
In January, Amazon suspended its Prime Air deliveries in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona. These locations were among the few in the United States where the service was being tested. The pause was initiated due to a software update needed for its drone fleet.
The issue stemmed from an anomaly with the drones’ altitude sensors. Dust particles in the air had the potential to interfere with the accuracy of the altitude readings, leading Amazon to temporarily halt the deliveries as a precautionary measure. Although there were no safety incidents reported, Amazon felt it prudent to address the issue before continuing operations.
Last week, following the completion of the software updates and with the endorsement of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Amazon reinstated its drone delivery service. Av Zammit, a spokesperson for Amazon, stated, “Safety underpins everything we do at Prime Air, which is why we opted to pause our operations to conduct a software update on the MK30 drone. The updates are complete and have received FAA approval, allowing us to resume deliveries.”
The FAA has not yet commented on this development.
Zammit noted that since the service resumed, Prime Air has experienced “unprecedented levels of demand.” In a LinkedIn post, David Carbon, who oversees Amazon’s drone program, shared an anecdote about a successful delivery of ZzzQuil sleep medicine to an Arizona customer, which took “31 minutes and 30 seconds.” However, details regarding the delivery distance were not disclosed.
For more than ten years, Amazon has been striving to realize founder Jeff Bezos’ vision of using drones to deliver items such as toothpaste, books, and batteries within a 30-minute window. However, progress has been limited; Prime Air is currently operational only in College Station and Tolleson, with a test location in Lockeford, California, being closed last April. Additionally, the program faced workforce reductions in 2023 as part of broader cost-cutting measures initiated by CEO Andy Jassy.
Amazon aims to achieve a target of delivering 500 million packages annually by drone by the decade’s end. Last year, the company made a significant regulatory advancement that may pave the way for expedited deliveries. There are also plans for international expansion, including the United Kingdom, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently visited a Prime Air facility.
The latest iteration of Amazon’s delivery drone, the MK30, is engineered to be quieter than its predecessors and is also capable of operating in light rain. This design addresses previous complaints from residents in College Station regarding noise levels associated with drone operations. In a bid to further minimize disturbance, Amazon plans to relocate its drone hub further away from residential areas later this year.
Prior to the suspension of deliveries, the MK30 faced challenges during test flights at Amazon’s Pendleton, Oregon facility. A software malfunction led to two separate drone crashes last December. Additionally, in September, a pilot error resulted in a mid-air collision of two drones while testing their response to a simulated propeller failure, as reported by federal authorities. Another incident occurred on February 21, causing significant damage to a drone during tests at the Pendleton site.
Amazon has clarified that these crashes did not influence its decision to halt drone deliveries. The company considers such incidents part of the testing and development phase, as it rigorously evaluates its drone systems under various conditions.
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