Amazon Expands Drone Delivery Service to Nearly 500 Cities

Amazon's drone delivery service, Prime Air, is set to expand significantly by the end of this year. The company plans to reach nearly 500 cities and towns across the United States, a sixfold increase from its current footprint.

This expansion comes as Amazon and its competitors, including DoorDash and Alphabet-owned Wing, race to make drone delivery an everyday service. With Prime Air's growth, customers in these areas will be able to choose drone delivery for orders weighing 5 pounds or less, which includes over 60 percent of the items Amazon's customers purchase most frequently.

Amazon says its drones can deliver packages in as little as 30 minutes, although most take closer to an hour. Prime members receive free drone delivery on orders of at least $50 and pay $2.99 for smaller orders. Non-Prime customers pay $4.99.