Amazon is calling it quits on Prime Air services in one of the two cities where they launched their drone delivery program back in 2022. The news of the Lockeford, California, delivery site shutdown comes on the same day the company announced a new aerial initiative in Arizona’s West Valley area.
Amazon explains that the decision to close the California delivery site will help it prioritize the resources needed to continue growing the Prime Air program. “We’ll offer all current employees opportunities at other sites, and will continue to serve customers in Lockeford with other delivery methods,” Amazon says.
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“Our vision for Prime Air is ambitious,” adds David Carbon, who is responsible for all aspects of Prime Air, including design, certification, build, fulfillment, and operations. “To achieve scale, we’re focused on bringing drone delivery to more populated areas.”
The area in focus right now is Tolleson, a city located on the western edge of Arizone’s Phoenix metropolitan area. There, for the first time, Prime Air drones will deploy from facilities next to Amazon’s same-day delivery site.
These sites are hybrid in nature — part fulfillment center, part delivery station. And they are located close to large metro areas. Amazon is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local officials in Tolleson to obtain all necessary permissions to conduct deliveries.
“Once we’ve received all the necessary approvals, we’ll begin reaching out to customers in the West Valley so they can receive drone deliveries when the service goes live later this year,” Amazon explains.
Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, adds, “This kind of delivery is the future, and it’s exciting that it will be starting in the Phoenix Metro Area. The shift toward zero-emission package delivery will help us reduce local pollution and further cement our city as a hotbed for the innovative technology of tomorrow.”
The only other location where Amazon is currently offering drone delivery is College Station, Texas. Drone delivery has also been promised to customers in Italy and the United Kingdom by late 2024. However, additional US locations are not expected before 2025.
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