The launch of drone deliveries in Lockeford would mark the official launch of Amazon’s drone delivery service. The company previously ran several pilot and mission-specific programs in collaboration with the United States Park Service, FedEx and Walmart.
While Amazon still needs specific permits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and city officials, the official rollout of the service will see the use of drones that can fly beyond line of sight. The drones will be programmed to drop off packages in customers’ backyards in Lockeford, a town that’s resided by nearly 4,000 people.
The service launch in the U.S. comes nearly six years after Amazon made its first drone delivery in the U.K.
Amazon is far from being the only player in the retail space that is experimenting with drone deliveries. Retailers like Walmart and Kroger have also been actively launching their own services.
Last year, Kroger launched a drone delivery pilot for “bundled product offerings,” allowing customers to bundle not just a variety of related grocery products but also things such as prescriptions.
Walmart, meanwhile, ran a pilot program in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 2020, where it tested on-demand delivery of select grocery and essential household items using drones developed by Israeli startup Flytrex.
