Amazon launches drone delivery trials in the US

E-commerce giant Amazon has launched drone delivery trials in a couple of new locations in California and Texas.

David Carbon, vice president of Prime Air Amazon, announced the development in a post on LinkedIn including a photo showing one of its drones carrying a small box on the end of a tether.

“First deliveries from our new sites in Texas and California,” Carbon wrote in his post. “Couldn’t be prouder of the amazing people that make up Prime Air. These are careful first steps that we will turn into giant leaps for our customers over the next number of years.”

Amazon had been working on its drone delivery since 2013, and its drone had undergone many design changes over the decade as the company worked to ensure the drone was a safe and reliable operation. The company is now set to launch its latest aircraft design — with improved durability and a range beyond the current nine miles — in 2024.

With rules governing commercial drone flights still rather strict, Amazon and other leaders in the industry such as Alphabet-owned Wing have been operating pilot schemes like the ones that have just launched in California and Texas.

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