Amazon to Expand Prime Air Drone Delivery to Five More U.S. Markets

Amazon is expanding its Prime Air drone delivery service to five additional U.S. metropolitan areas as the company continues to scale up its delivery network.

The company said the service will soon launch in Chicago, Syracuse, Cleveland, Atlanta and Boise, with additional communities expected to be added later this year.

The expansion is part of Amazon’s broader goal of bringing Prime Air to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026. The service currently operates across 10 U.S. metro areas, including markets in Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas.

Amazon said Prime Air has delivered hundreds of thousands of packages so far this year, with some deliveries arriving in as little as 30 minutes. Most orders typically reach customers within about an hour.

Prime Air is designed for relatively small orders. Eligible products must weigh no more than five pounds and fit inside a large shoebox. Amazon says the selection includes products such as groceries, electronics, cosmetics and medications.

For Prime members, drone delivery is free on qualifying orders of $50 or more. Smaller Prime orders are subject to a $2.99 delivery fee, while non-Prime customers pay $4.99.

The expansion marks another step in Amazon’s long-running effort to make drone delivery part of its regular ecommerce logistics network. The company first announced its drone delivery ambitions in 2013, but commercial U.S. deliveries did not begin until 2022.

Amazon has also been working to improve its drone technology and regulatory capabilities. Its latest MK30 drones use onboard cameras and sensors to identify obstacles and navigate without relying on a continuously monitored video feed from an employee.

The company recently expanded Prime Air outside the U.S. as well, launching the service in Darlington, England.

Amazon is not alone in pushing drone delivery forward. Walmart, working with partners including Wing and Zipline, has also been expanding its drone network in the U.S. Meanwhile, Zipline has partnered with Uber to bring drone deliveries to more U.S. markets, while DoorDash is developing its own drone delivery operation.

With the latest expansion, Amazon is betting that faster automated delivery can become a larger part of everyday ecommerce fulfillment as competition in last-mile delivery continues to grow.