Amazon Accelerates Drone Delivery Expansion to 500 US Cities

Amazon's Prime Air service is rapidly expanding to nearly 500 US cities and towns by year's end, according to an Amazon blog post cited by CNBC. This marks a significant increase from its current footprint, putting the company on track to meet its goal of 1 million drone deliveries in 2026.

Amazon has already made thousands of drone drops daily and claims that some orders have arrived within minutes after checkout, typically within an hour. However, there are concerns surrounding the use of drones, including noise, privacy, and safety issues. The company is also testing a tether-based 'gentle delivery' system to handle fragile items like eggs.

The expansion comes after receiving regulatory clearance for longer-range flights but Amazon trails behind competitors Alphabet's Wing and Walmart partner Zipline in terms of deliveries. Prime Air has faced scrutiny following crashes in Arizona, Texas, and the UK, which prompted safety investigations.