Amazon Prime Air expansion brings drone delivery to nearly 500 US cities
Amazon announced Wednesday a major Amazon Prime Air expansion, with its drone delivery service planning to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026. This marks a significant milestone, growing the service’s footprint by roughly 6x its current reach.
New launch locations in the Amazon Prime Air expansion
As part of this Amazon Prime Air expansion, the service will soon launch in 11 locations:
Tolleson, Arizona
Ruskin, Florida
Kansas City, Kansas
Papillion, Nebraska
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Hazel Park and Pontiac, Michigan
Richmond, San Antonio, Richardson, and Waco, Texas
The return to Tolleson is particularly notable given a drone accident that occurred there last year. In October 2025, two drones collided with the boom of a crane. Amazon’s drones have also previously drawn scrutiny following incidents, including clipping an internet cable and crashing into a garden and an apartment building.
Safety remains central to the Amazon Prime Air expansion
This incident history likely explains why Amazon reiterated its focus on safety as part of the Amazon Prime Air expansion announcement. The company highlighted Prime Air’s “industry-leading Detect-and-Avoid system,” designed to continuously monitor the airspace and surroundings of each drone.
The drones also rely on onboard cameras and sensors for navigation, obstacle detection, and delivery. Amazon stated the drones are designed to operate in real-world conditions, including light rain and a range of temperatures.
FAA certification supports the Amazon Prime Air expansion
Prime Air operates under Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 certification, the same regulatory framework used by commercial air carriers. This certification ensures the service meets rigorous safety standards as the Amazon Prime Air expansion continues rolling out nationwide.
Customer benefits and delivery options
“Customers already turn to Amazon for fast Same- and Next-Day Delivery, and Prime Air provides them an even speedier option when they need it, with deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes,” said David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air. He added that the service has “already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to customers by drone this year.”
The service currently operates across seven states, including:
Arizona
Florida
Kansas
Louisiana
Michigan
Nebraska
Texas
Amazon says launches in Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, and New York are also coming soon as the Amazon Prime Air expansion continues.
Pricing and eligibility
Prime members receive free ultrafast drone delivery on eligible orders of $50 or more. For Prime members placing eligible orders under $50, the delivery fee is $2.99. Non-Prime customers pay a $4.99 delivery fee. Nearly all items weighing 5 pounds or less can be delivered by drone.
Competitive landscape amid the Amazon Prime Air expansion
Amazon’s push comes as other major companies continue building their own drone delivery networks. Walmart and Google parent Alphabet’s Wing have been expanding a competing drone delivery operation, which the companies have described as the largest drone delivery network in the U.S. In June, the companies added seven new markets, including Phoenix, Philadelphia, and the Bay Area.
This rapid expansion signals growing competition in the commercial drone delivery space, with major players racing to establish dominance in what could become a transformative logistics channel for e-commerce.
