Amazon plans to expand its Prime Air drone delivery program to the UK and Italy in 2024.
The company also plans to launch drone operations in a third U.S. city next year, following ongoing efforts in College Station, Texas, and Rockford, California.
Drone delivery services in the UK and Italy started with just one location and then expanded to additional locations over time.
Amazon said it will announce specific expansion locations in the US, UK and Italy in the coming months.
Amazon is integrating Prime Air into its delivery network, flying drones across the US from designated same-day delivery locations.
Amazon said that by placing drones in these locations, in addition to its main delivery centers in the United Kingdom and Italy, customers will be able to choose from a variety of items that will be delivered by drones. Previously, Amazon used private delivery centers at its first two Prime Air locations.
If available in the region, the Company's customers may choose to receive products via drone and purchase qualifying products weighing less than 2,265 grams.
According to the company, thousands of items are eligible for drone delivery, including office and technology supplies, household products and beauty items.
The company said it has been using drones for nearly a year to deliver items to customers within an hour or less at its first two Prime Air locations.
Reports earlier this year indicated that Prime Air's drone delivery program got off to a very slow start, only reaching a handful of homes in Texas and California during its first few weeks of operation, and that it was also under surveillance during this time. . .
The program is also subject to regulatory restrictions, which is why Amazon is working closely with regulators and governments around the world to expand drone deployment.
Meanwhile, Amazon plans to make deliveries using its MK30 drones, which it debuted last November.
The drone has twice the range of its predecessor, while being better able to withstand high and low temperatures, operate in light rain, and detect and avoid obstacles in delivery areas.