Amazon launches drone deliveries in Arizona.

Amazon has started operating drone deliveries at its delivery hub in Tolleson, Arizona. Customers residing in the West Valley metropolitan area of Phoenix will be able to receive packages via Prime Air and will have access to more than 50,000 essential products, including household supplies, beauty products, and office and technology items. This offering is presented as Amazon's widest selection for fast drone deliveries to date. The news comes following the company's announcement about the closure of its testing zone in Lockeford, California.

The new site in Tolleson incorporates drone deliveries into Amazon's distribution network for the first time, with drones taking off right next to the fulfillment center. The latest MK30 models are being used, capable of carrying up to 5 pounds of cargo, with the advantage of flying "twice the distance" and operating "50 percent more quietly" compared to previous models that faced issues during testing.

These aircraft will launch from a hybrid facility and have received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate in Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) conditions, allowing them to be used outside the operator's visual range. Amazon claims to be the first company to simultaneously launch new infrastructure alongside a BVLOS drone service that complies with FAA requirements.

Despite numerous delays that have marked the start of its program, Amazon maintains that it has delivered "thousands" of items to customers in under an hour since beginning drone deliveries in 2022. Additionally, the company is already operating in College Station, Texas, and plans to open new locations in 2025.