Amazon begins drone deliveries in Arizona

Amazon begins drone delivery for same-day delivery at its Tolleson, AZ location. Customers living in the West Valley Phoenix metro area are eligible to receive packages via Prime Air and have “access to over 50,000 everyday essentials,” including home, beauty, and office/tech supplies – which Amazon says is the The largest selection to date is for fast drone deliveries.

The news came after Amazon announced it would be closing its Test 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 be deployed directly next to the fulfillment center.

Amazon is using its latest MK30 drones, which can carry up to 5 pounds while flying “twice as far” and running “50 percent quieter” than its previous models, which 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 beyond the operator's line of sight. The company says it is the first to launch both a new facility and a BVLOS drone service that meets FAA requirements.

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