Amazon Prime Air drone courtesy of Amazon
ATLANTA - Amazon Prime Air is launching fast drone delivery in Atlanta, giving local shoppers access to 30-minute fulfillment on millions of eligible items, according to the company.
What we know:
Amazon Prime Air plans to roll out service in Atlanta, Chicago, Syracuse, New York, and other cities soon. The service offers delivery in as fast as 30 minutes on items like groceries, cosmetics, medications, electronics and niche items.
"We've already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to customers by drone this year, and by the end of 2026 we plan to reach customers in nearly 500 cities and towns," said David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air.
More than 90,000 items are available through Amazon’s Same-Day Delivery network, though delivery times by drone can drop to half an hour.
By the numbers:
Amazon says orders can be made for almost all items weighing 5 pounds or less. That weight limit covers more than 60% of items' customers frequently buy through the company.
Prime members receive drone delivery as a perk on orders of $50 or more. For Prime members with orders under $50, the fee is $2.99, while customers without a Prime membership pay $4.99.
How It Works:
When customers place their first drone order, they confirm a delivery point and can keep or change that spot for future orders. Once the aircraft arrives, it checks to confirm no people, pets or vehicles are in the way before dropping the package.
Prime Air holds Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 certification, which represents the highest level of FAA oversight for drone delivery operations.
Ultimately, Amazon plans to make the service available in 500 cities and towns nationwide by the end of 2026.
What we don't know:
Amazon has not provided an exact launch date for when the first drone deliveries will begin taking off in Atlanta. It is also unclear which specific neighborhoods or ZIP codes within the metro area will fall inside the initial flight radius.
FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to Amazon for further details on the launch.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an official press release issued by Amazon, which detailed its Prime Air drone delivery rollout, safety protocols, pricing structure and executive statements.