Amazon announced Wednesday that it will expand its Prime Air drone delivery service to nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of 2024. The Seattle-based company described the expansion as a "sixfold increase" in its current drone delivery footprint.
Amazon Prime first launched drone deliveries in 2022, initially limiting the service to Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas. The company stated that the service is currently available in 11 cities, covering approximately 175 square miles across areas including metro Phoenix, Tampa, Detroit, and Dallas.
The upcoming expansion will target five new metropolitan areas: Chicago, Cleveland, Syracuse, Atlanta, and Boise. The drones are designed to carry "millions" of items weighing five pounds or less, such as electronics, medications, and groceries, with delivery times ranging from 30 to 60 minutes.
Residents in these areas will notice a change in the physical environment of their neighborhoods. Amazon reports that the drones produce a sound level lower than an idling delivery truck and comparable to a window fan on low speed, typically lasting 30 seconds during arrival. The drones are "highly autonomous," utilizing onboard cameras and sensors for navigation and obstacle detection, though the company noted there is no live camera feed available to operators.
The rollout sets a precedent for large-scale autonomous delivery in urban and suburban environments, potentially shifting logistics away from traditional delivery vans. Amazon plans to implement the expansion in the newly named metro areas and hundreds of other towns before the end of the year. The specific dates for each city's launch were not reported beyond the general year-end target.