Amazon ends California drone deliveries

Amazon has confirmed that it is ending Prime Air drone delivery operations in Lockeford, California. This central California city of 3,500 was the company’s second drone delivery site in the United States, after College Station, Texas. The operations were announced in June 2022.

The retail giant is not providing details on the setback, noting only: “We will offer all current employees opportunities at other locations and will continue to serve Lockeford customers with alternative delivery methods.” We would like to thank the community for all their support and feedback over the past few years.

Deliveries to College Station will continue, along with an upcoming location in Tolleson, Arizona, which is expected to begin deliveries later this year. Tolleson, a city of just over 7,000 people, is located in Maricopa County in the western part of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The arrival of Prime Air enables same-day deliveries to Amazon customers in the region, using a hybrid fulfillment center/delivery station. The company says it will contact affected customers when the service is operational. There is no specific information on the timeline beyond “this year,” in part because of ongoing negotiations with local authorities and the FAA necessary for deployment in the airspace.

Supply expansion has been extremely slow, in part because of regulatory issues. For much of the project’s lifespan, it seemed like Amazon was simply dipping its toes into the untested waters of drone delivery. It appears that Tolleson will be the only expansion of the service this calendar year, with additional news delayed until 2025. It remains to be seen whether the company will reconnect with the California locals.

Amazon reaffirmed its commitment late last year, with the announcement of drug deliveries in College Station, bringing some Amazon Pharmacy orders to customers in less than an hour.

Some local governments clearly see these types of agreements as an opportunity to promote an openness to technological innovation outside of traditional hot spots like San Francisco or New York.

“This type of delivery is the future, and it’s exciting that it’s starting in the Phoenix metro area,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “Moving to zero-emission parcel delivery will help us reduce local pollution and further cement our city as a home to tomorrow’s innovative technology. »