
Amazon suspends drone deliveries in two states, citing safety needs
By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Kalé Carey (Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)
For more than a decade, Amazon has been working to deliver packages straight to customers’ doorsteps, using drones instead of drivers. However, the company’s one-hour delivery promise has been delayed again, with drone operations in Texas and Arizona now suspended.
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Amazon’s “Prime Air” service is on hold, following the crash of two newly built drones during testing. The incidents occurred after light rain at Amazon’s testing facility in Oregon caused the MK30 drones to malfunction and crash, and one drone even caught fire.

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A spokesperson for Amazon said the drone is “designed to safely respond to unknown events in a known way,” and noted that “the overall architecture of the drone has performed as expected.”
The pause follows Amazon’s launch of a new fleet of drones at the end of 2024, after two years of development. A key part of the testing was ensuring the drones could operate safely in light rain, the factor that led to the recent issue.
Amazon insists the pause is voluntary and not solely based on the crashes. The company says it is working to improve the safety of the drones, similar to a previous pause after earlier models experienced battery failures and power issues.
In 2013, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced plans to deliver packages to half a billion customers using drones. Progress has been gradual but steady. The company began drone deliveries in Texas in 2022, expanded to prescriptions in 2023, and added Arizona to the service last year.
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Although Amazon ended its drone delivery program in California last spring, it plans to expand to new cities by the end of 2025.
Amazon hopes to resume deliveries once the FAA approves the necessary software updates for the drones.
[Jack Aylmer]
FOR OVER A DECADE, AMAZON HAS BEEN WORKING TO DELIVER PACKAGES STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOORSTEP—BUT INSTEAD OF A DRIVER, THEY’VE BEEN BETTING ON DRONES.
BUT NOW, AMAZON’S ONE-HOUR DELIVERY PROMISE HAS BEEN DELAYED AGAIN WITH THE COMPANY SUSPENDING DRONE OPERATIONS IN TEXAS AND ARIZONA.
AMAZON’S ‘PRIME AIR’ SERVICE IS NOW ON PAUSE AFTER TWO NEWLY BUILT DRONES CRASHED DURING TESTING.
LIGHT RAIN AT AMAZON’S TESTING FACILITY IN OREGON LED TO THE MK30 DRONES TO MALFUNCTION AND CRASH–ONE EVEN CATCHING FIRE.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR AMAZON EXPLAINED “It’s designed to safely respond to unknown events in a known way, and the overall architecture of the drone has performed as expected.”
THIS COMES JUST AFTER AMAZON LAUNCHED A NEW FLEET OF DRONES AT THE END OF 2024, FOLLOWING TWO YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT.
A KEY PART OF THE PROCESS WAS ENSURING THE DRONES COULD OPERATE SAFELY IN LIGHT RAIN—THE VERY FACTOR THAT CAUSED THE ISSUE.
AMAZON CALLS THE PAUSE VOLUNTARY, INSISTING ITS NOT BECAUSE OF THE CRASHES BUT TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF THE DRONES
ITS PREVIOUS DRONES PROMPTED A SIMILAR PAUSE AFTER MULTIPLE CRASHES DUE TO BATTERY FAILURES AND POWER ISSUES.
IN 2013, AMAZON FOUNDER JEFF BEZOS UNVEILED PLANS TO DELIVER PACKAGES TO HALF A BILLION CUSTOMERS USING DRONES.
PROGRESS HAS BEEN SLOW BUT STEADY: THE COMPANY STARTED DRONE DELIVERIES IN TEXAS IN 2022, EXPANDED TO PRESCRIPTIONS IN 2023, AND ADDED ARIZONA TO THE LIST LAST YEAR.
AMAZON ENDED ITS DRONE DELIVERY PROGRAM IN CALIFORNIA LAST SPRING BUT SAYS THEY PLAN TO CONTINUE MOVING INTO NEW CITIES BY THE END OF 2025.
AMAZON DELIVERIES WILL TAKE FLIGHT ONCE AGAIN AFTER THE F-A-A APPROVES SOFTWARE UPDATES TO THE DRONES.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER
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