Amazon temporarily suspended its drone delivery program in the United States after two MK30 drones crashed.
The incidents, one of which occurred during rainy conditions at a testing facility in Pendleton, Oregon, forced the company to roll out key software updates across its fleet.
This suspension would impact Prime Air customers in Texas and Arizona, where drone deliveries were previously accessible in limited locations.
The crashes, including a September test mishap in which two drones collided during simultaneous launches, have exposed some issues with Amazon's ambitious drone program. Despite the suspension, Amazon emphasized that the operational pause, effective from January 17, is voluntary and not directly caused by the incidents. "Prime Air continues to deliver to customers safely and within federal compliance," said spokesperson Sam Stephenson.
Amazon's drone delivery initiative has faced numerous hurdles since its inception. The initiative was originally supposed to deliver 500 million packets annually by 2030, but it has struggled to meet these expectations. In April, operations were paused in Lockeford, California, to prioritize resources for other areas. High-profile senior departures, including Sean Cassidy, Prime Air's director of safety and regulatory affairs, have further complicated the program's progress.
Despite these setbacks, the program has achieved regulatory milestones and received certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly outside the line of sight in May 2023. Amazon also announced plans to expand drone delivery services to Italy and the UK, with regulatory backing from the UK government.
However, cost concerns are still a barrier to scalability. In 2022, leaked documents stated that shipping a single parcel via drone may cost as much as $63 by 2025, raising concerns about long-term viability. Meanwhile, companies like Alphabet's Wing and Zipline, in partnership with Walmart, continue pursuing drone delivery technology advancements.
The current pause highlights the difficulty of integrating autonomous systems into commercial operations, as Amazon faces technical and operational challenges in meeting its lofty ambitions.