'Prime Air': Amazon says it will begin delivering packages by drones in California

It has been nearly a decade since Amazon floated the idea of completing parcel deliveries through drones. At that time, it sounded something straight out of a science fiction film, but it is soon going to be a reality – at least for a small town in the United States. Amazon announced on Monday that they will be starting their Prime Air deliveries for customers in Lockeford, California as a trial run. The announcement was made on the TODAY show as the statement from Amazon said that the drones will be able to carry parcels “under five pounds” within an hour. The initial trial run of the drone delivery system will include parcels within 15 miles of the nearest Amazon delivery center.

In a blog post, Amazon also said that the drones will “descend to the customer’s backyard, and hover at a safe height” making it easier for them to collect their parcels safely. The drones are also able to detect any fixed object in their path and they were approved by the authorities in 2020.

While Amazon started trying out their drones in 2015, it took them almost five years to finally get the necessary permissions. According to a report on the Politico, there were eight instances of crashes when it came to the Amazon drones including one that resulted in a brush fire in Oregon.

However, Amazon has been able to work out the issues in their system and the company said that it will be working with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and city officials for all necessary permits.

(With inputs from agencies)