Amazon has announced an expansion of its drone delivery service, Amazon Prime Air, set to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026. This marks a significant leap for the company, increasing its current coverage sixfold. Eleven new locations including Tolleson in Arizona and Richmond in Texas are among those set to benefit.

The return to Tolleson is noteworthy following a drone accident there last year, where two drones collided with a crane's boom. Amazon has since highlighted its 'industry-leading Detect-and-Avoid system,' which continuously monitors the airspace around each drone. The drones also use onboard cameras and sensors for navigation, obstacle detection, and delivery, all while operating in various weather conditions.

Prime Air operates under Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 certification, aligning it with commercial air carriers. Amazon's David Carbon stated that Prime Air provides customers an even faster option, with deliveries as fast as 30 minutes. The service is currently operational across seven states and will soon expand to Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, and New York.

Prime members can enjoy free ultrafast drone delivery on orders of $50 or more, while non-Prime customers pay a $2.99 or $4.99 fee respectively. Nearly all items weighing 5 pounds or less are eligible for this service. Amazon’s push into delivering goods by drone comes as other companies like Walmart and Google’s Wing continue to expand their own networks.