Amazon has announced the launch of Prime Air drone delivery in the West Valley of the Phoenix Metro Area in Arizona. Customers who live near Amazon’s Same-Day site in Tolleson, Arizona, and purchase an eligible item weighing 5 pounds or less can have it delivered by drone in under an hour.
In a statement, the company said, “we’re fully integrating into Amazon’s delivery network, meaning, for the first time, our new MK30 drones will deploy from facilities next to our Same-Day Delivery site in Tolleson. These smaller sites are hybrid—part fulfillment center, part delivery station. They allow us to fulfill, sort, and deliver products all from one site so we can get packages out to our customers even quicker.”
Amazon’s MK30 drone, which is also used to make deliveries in College Station, TX, is provisioned with detect and avoid capabilities and is approved for BVLOS operations in Phoenix.
“As Amazon embarks on the national expansion of its Amazon Drone Delivery Program, we’re proud to have their innovative presence in our community. By bringing this service to new communities, they’re not just delivering goods; they’re delivering opportunities and economic growth for all,” said Juan F. Rodriguez, mayor of Tolleson, earlier this year. “Amazon’s commitment to innovation exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives our city forward.”
“This kind of delivery is the future, and it’s exciting that it will be starting in the Phoenix Metro Area,” said Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, earlier this year. “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.”