• Amazon Prime Air, the drone delivery arm of Amazon, has announced plans to test its delivery drones in Lockeford, California later this year. This marks Amazon’s first drone-based delivery service offered to the public in the US.

• Once the service is launched, customers in Lockeford will be able to have selected products on Amazon drone delivered to their homes.

• The company is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local authorities to obtain the necessary approvals for the service.

• Amazon Prime Air develops drones that can fly at a maximum speed of 15 mph carrying a payload of up to 5 lb, promising delivery within 30 minutes. The drones are also equipped with a sense-and-avoid system to detect and avoid other aircraft and obstacles—enabling beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Today’s news signifies a major achievement for Amazon, following the recent setbacks the Prime Air project went through. The company scaled down its drone operations in both the US and the UK markets recently citing technology, regulations, and management-related issues. Amazon has been developing drones for years and started conducting delivery trials in the UK in late 2016. The company obtained permission from the FAA to launch commercial trials in the US in August 2020 and has tested drones in areas including Seattle, Washington and Pendleton, Oregon. </ul>