Amazon has resumed drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona, following a months-long pause due to a software update, the company confirmed. The halt, initiated in January, affected Prime Air operations in College Station and Tolleson, the two U.S. test markets.
Amazon paused deliveries after detecting a potential altitude sensor abnormality in its drone fleet, caused by airborne dust, which could have led to inaccurate ground readings. Though no safety incidents occurred, Amazon suspended operations as a precaution while they addressed the issue.
Deliveries restarted last week after the software update was completed and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to Amazon spokesperson Av Zammit. “Safety underscores everything we do at Prime Air,” Zammit stated, emphasizing the FAA-approved updates.
Since restarting, Prime Air has seen “unprecedented demand,” with executive David Carbon noting a 31-minute, 30-second delivery of sleep medication in Arizona.
Amazon’s decade-long pursuit of drone delivery, envisioned by founder Jeff Bezos, has faced challenges. Progress has been slow, limited to College Station and Tolleson, and a Lockeford, California, test site closed last April. Layoffs in 2023 also impacted the program.
Despite these setbacks, Amazon aims for 500 million drone deliveries annually by decade’s end. Recent milestones include regulatory approvals and potential international expansion to the U.K. The company has also introduced the quieter, rain-capable MK30 drone.
The MK30’s deployment follows noise complaints from College Station residents, prompting Amazon to relocate its drone hub. Prior to the software update, the MK30 experienced crashes during testing in Pendleton, Oregon, including a mid-air collision and a software-related incident.
Amazon maintains these crashes, including those with older models, are part of the testing process. The most recent crash happened on February 21st, and is being investigated by the NTSB. Amazon insists that the crashes are unrelated to the software update.
