In a major move beyond its initial small test markets of College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona, Amazon has formally expanded its Prime Air drone delivery program to serve 10 major U.S. cities as of February 21, 2025. Now, the service ships from Same-Day Delivery locations, using AI driven by AWS to allow drop-offs for packages weighing up to five pounds in less than 30 minutes.
Targeted cities include major cities like Dallas and Atlanta, where about 500,000 households can now receive drone deliveries. With a range of up to 7.5 miles and a top speed of 50 mph, Prime Air drones are designed to withstand mild weather and light rain.
The expansion comes after the FAA approved drone operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in May 2024, which paves the way for urban-scale operations by allowing drones to fly beyond the operator’s line of sight for the first time. Amazon also received FAA approval in recent months to use drones to deliver lithium-ion battery products, such as iPhones, AirPods, and other consumer electronics, in the markets of Arizona and Texas. These improvements include streamlined drop-off processes that do not require QR codes on the ground, as well as more accurate delivery time windows. Additionally, Amazon plans to expand:
Zoning changes for a Prime Air launch from its East Side warehouse were approved by the City Council of San Antonio, Texas. In addition to creating jobs and working with local authorities and the FAA on safety and environmental compliance, Amazon anticipates delivering goods within 60 minutes within a 7.5-mile radius of the drone site. By the end of 2025, launch is anticipated.
Early planning is in progress for Kansas City, Missouri, making it one of Amazon’s first significant urban deployments outside of Texas and Arizona.
Amazon resumed operations in 2025 with improved sensor redundancy and safety procedures, despite early MK30 test drone crashes and a brief pause. By 2029–2030, 500 million packages will be delivered by drone each year, signalling a long-term shift towards autonomous, lightning-fast logistics.
Prime Air is quickly moving from pilot testing to widespread adoption in major U.S. cities, establishing the foundation for a new era of next-hour delivery with its expanded capabilities and approvals for consumer electronics.
