Amazon starts drone deliveries in Arizona

Amazon is starting up drone delivery operations at its Tolleson, AZ, same-day delivery site. Customers who live in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area are eligible to receive packages via Prime Air and will have “access to the over 50,000 everyday essentials” that include household, beauty, and office/tech supplies — which Amazon claims is its largest selection yet for fast drone deliveries.

The news came after Amazon announced it was shutting down its testing zone location in Lockeford, California. The new Tolleson location integrates drone deliveries into Amazon’s delivery network for the first time, and the drones will deploy right next to the fulfillment center.

Amazon is using its latest MK30 drones that can carry up to 5 pounds while also flying “twice as far” and running “50 percent quieter” than its previous models that sometimes crashed and burned in testing.

Amazon will launch the drones from its hybrid facility. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Amazon’s drones for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), meaning they can be flown out of visual range from the operator. The company claims it’s the first to launch both a new facility and BVLOS drone service that meets FAA requirements.

Despite many delays in getting its program off the ground, Amazon says it has delivered “thousands” of items to customers in less than an hour since it started drone deliveries in 2022. The company also operates in College Station, Texas, and plans to open new locations in 2025.