Amazon packages will no longer travel to their final destination by drone in California. The company is ending its Prime Air drone delivery operations in its test city of Lockeford.
Amazon started delivering packages by drone in the 3,500-person city in June 2022. Lockeford was Amazon’s second drone delivery location after College Station, Texas, where it recently launched same-day prescription deliveries via drone, which will continue moving forward.
Amazon says Lockeford drone deliveries are ending so the company can "prioritize our resources to continue growing the program." Current employees will get opportunities at other sites and packages will get to Lockeford “with other delivery methods."
That growth will happen in Arizona, where Amazon plans to start drone deliveries in Phoenix's West Valley later this year. "With this new location, we’ll be fully integrated into Amazon’s delivery network, meaning, for the first time, drones will deploy from facilities next to our Same-Day Delivery site in Tolleson, [Arizona]," Amazon says.
The company is working with the FAA and local officials in Tolleson to obtain all the necessary permissions to conduct deliveries in the area.
In the meantime, Amazon is conducting test flights with its new MK30 drone. The drone has safety features that will allow it to deliver packages in more densely populated suburban areas and locations with smaller backyards. It's also quieter than the company’s current drone and can handle light rain. Amazon expects to launch MK30 deliveries later this year.