Amazon Targets 500 Cities in Sixfold Prime Air Drone Delivery Expansion by 2026
Retail Giant Targets Nearly 500 Cities and 30-Minute Flights by End of 2026
Amazon is preparing a roughly sixfold expansion of its Prime Air drone delivery network, targeting nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026 as retailers and delivery companies race to make last-mile shipping faster and cheaper.
The rollout will widen Prime Air’s footprint beyond its 11 current delivery sites across 10 metropolitan areas. Amazon plans to expand next into the Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Syracuse and Boise metropolitan areas, with additional communities expected later this year.
An Amazon drone makes a delivery in Papillion, Neb. on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Joseph Ciembroniewicz/Omaha World-Herald via Getty Images)
The expansion follows regulatory milestones necessary for scaling commercial aerial logistics. In May 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration granted Prime Air approval to operate drones Beyond Visual Line of Sight, removing requirements for ground-based human observers. Operating under FAA Part 135 certification, Amazon’s drones utilize an autonomous detect-and-avoid system to monitor airspace and navigate obstacles without requiring a pilot to watch a live video feed.
Prime Air can carry most packages weighing 5 pounds or less and roughly the size of a large shoebox, making more than 60% of the products customers purchase most frequently eligible for drone delivery. Orders can arrive in as little as 30 minutes, though Amazon says most reach customers about an hour after checkout.
To support the network expansion, Amazon is deploying its MK30 drone model. The aircraft operates with half the perceived noise of previous models, features extended range, and can fly in light rain, overcoming weather restrictions that previously grounded earlier fleet iterations.
Prime members receive free drone delivery on orders of $50 or more and pay $2.99 on smaller orders, while non-Prime customers pay $4.99. Amazon has also shifted its launch strategy by integrating drone sites directly into its existing Same-Day Delivery fulfillment centers, such as its facility in Tolleson, Arizona, rather than operating isolated standalone drone hubs.
Prime members receive free drone delivery on orders of $50 or more and pay $2.99 on smaller orders. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
The push comes as rivals make their own moves into drone delivery. Walmart has expanded service through partners including Alphabet-owned Wing and Zipline, while DoorDash recently received federal approval to operate its own commercial drone delivery network. Uber this week also announced a partnership with Zipline. Amazon says Prime Air has already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages this year.
