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Amazon Halts Drone Deliveries in Texas and Arizona: Temporary Pause
- Amazon has suspended its drone delivery services in Texas and Arizona until further notice due to software changes. The move comes after a safety incident involving two drones occurred in December at an Amazon testing facility in Pendleton, Oregon, but the company says there’s no direct link to its suspension decision. The drones crashed due to a software malfunction caused by light rain. Amazon was given an FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate in 2020. Its Prime Air has had various ups and downs since it first started testing out its commercial drone delivery model. The company said the pause in operations will be temporary.
- An Amazon spokesman said the MK30 drone used in the service is safe and compliant. They added that such incidents are part and parcel of pushing their aircraft past their limits. The primary reason for the pause is to ensure any software changes are carried out to enhance safety and compliance with all FAA regulations and requirements.
- Amazon Prime Air received FAA permission to conduct Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) missions around College Station last year. It has also been expanding its drone delivery business in Tolleson, Arizona and previously launched tests in Lockeford, California. In October 2023, it announced the expansion of its drone delivery service in College Station to include the delivery of prescription drugs.
- A College Station Mayor previously requested the FAA to slow down an Amazon Prime Air expansion plan citing noise pollution. In November 2024, Amazon Prime Air completed the expansion of its drone delivery services into Tolleson.
- The company has said that employees at both the Tolleson and College Station facilities will remain on the job and be paid through the service pause. Amazon has assured it’s a temporary setback and services will restart once the software updates are completed and approved by the FAA. Prime Air continues to make deliveries safely to its customers within federal compliance.
- Amazon announced the largest 18,000 jobs cut in history in 2020, reflecting efforts to improve its financial results. Prime Air was among the business segments impacted by the layoffs, but the company said the move would not result in the shutdown of test programs.
- Jim Magill, the author of the original article, is a Houston-based writer who has been covering technical and economic developments in the oil and gas industry for almost a quarter-century. He now writes about emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones and robots.
- Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace.
- Amazon Prime Air has had various ups and downs since it first started testing out its commercial drone delivery model.
- Amazon received an FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate in 2020. Its Prime Air continues to make deliveries safely to its customers within federal compliance.
- Prime Air was hit in the Amazon layoffs of 2020 that the company said would not result in shutting down drone test programs in Lockeford and College Station.
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