Amazon Expands Drone Delivery to 500 U.S. Cities by 2026

Amazon has announced plans to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026, roughly six times larger than its current footprint.

The expansion comes after Amazon completed hundreds of thousands of drone deliveries this year, with packages reaching customers in as little as 30 minutes.

Prime Air currently operates from 11 locations across seven states, serving about 175 square miles each. The drones can carry packages weighing up to five pounds, covering more than 60% of Amazon's most commonly purchased products, including groceries and medications.

The company is using low prices to encourage adoption, with Prime members paying nothing for drone delivery on orders of at least $50, while customers without Prime pay $4.99 for smaller orders.