Amazon to launch drone delivery service in third U.S. location, as well as Italy and UK

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Amazon announced Wednesday it would be launched a drone delivery service in another U.S. city, as well as in the United Kingdom and Italy beginning in late 2024

Prime Air, the company’s drone delivery system, will expand to a third, to be named U.S. city by the end of next year, the company said. The city will add to the company’s existing drone delivery operations in the United States, where it has been using drones to safely deliver packages weighing up to five pounds in an hour or less for almost a year.

The company’s new MK30 drone, a quieter, smaller and lighter drone than previous versions, will be integrated into its delivery network, deploying from some same-day delivery sites. In Italy and the U.K., the company said it will start integrating same-day delivery into some fulfillment centers starting with one site in each location and expanding over time.

“We are working closely with national regulators and international regulators, and communities in the EU, Italy, the UK, and the U.S., to develop this program,” the company said in a blog post. “We have committed the necessary time and resources to build a safe and scalable service. We have refined the technology and are now building the right infrastructure to ensure the service provides the ultimate convenience for our customers. We’ve also taken great care to ensure that our drones’ design philosophy and demonstrated levels of safety are setting a higher bar for safety across the commercial drone delivery industry, working closely with regulators to design to the highest standard set within those regulations.”

The company said once the service is available, eligible Amazon customers can opt into drone delivery and choose from thousands of products from household staples to everyday essentials to office/tech supplies.