During a 2013 "60 Minutes" interview, Jeff Bezos, who was still Amazon's CEO at the time, famously predicted that Amazon's patented delivery drones could be operational within five years. Bezos has shifted his focus since vacating the position, but Amazon never shifted away from this goal, even after 2018 came and went without any significant updates from the company. 

Over the past few years, Amazon continued to work on their drone delivery services but updates related to their progress have been difficult to ascertain. There were clearly more challenges than anticipated though, and those challenges were especially apparent in 2023. As it turned out, 2023 did prove to be a pivotal year for drone delivery, although not in exactly the way that was predicted. 

The technical and regulatory hurdles that Amazon was working through made headlines early in the year, while the loss of key personnel came later and continued through the end of the year. Such developments even caused some to push for the company to shut down the program.    

Despite such clamorings and challenges, it’s important to note that getting products delivered via drone from Amazon is a reality in 2024, even if it’s in a much more limited way than envisioned. They’ve posted those specifics in a way I’ll link to but also lift to provide a reference as these specifics inevitably evolve...  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=T2t12Luq8BbER2CJ5X

Drone Delivery Eligibility

We’re currently offering drone delivery in two locations in the U.S., College Station, Texas and Lockeford, California. Drone delivery is available 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday in Lockeford, California, and 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., 7 days a week in College Station, Texas.

Amazon Drone Delivery Customer Service handles all inquiries for drone deliveries. You can contact us at (888) 283-0587 to learn if you’re eligible for our drone delivery program or with any other questions you may have.

We’re opening up more locations in phases. When we launch drone delivery to your household, you will receive an email informing you that drone delivery is now available. Eligible households can sign up for Amazon’s new drone delivery service by scheduling a free consultation via this link.

During the visit, a local Survey Specialist will visit your address to survey your front and/or backyard. The consultation will take no more than 20 minutes. If your delivery location is suitable, we will provide a moveable QR code delivery marker after the consultation.

We will expand to new, select cities over time.

 

Drone deliveries taking place in College Station and Lockeford isn’t an especially recent development, but yard survey consultations and a commitment to an expansion is revealing. Those surveys underscore a commitment that goes beyond a media narrative, and while that expansion to select cities isn’t specific, that it’s there at all further highlights how the company isn’t running from any of these challenges.

The matter-of-fact and limited nature of this info is striking, especially if you consider it in the context of the 2013 interview. It’s a reminder of that infamous quote (that is variously attributed) about the difficult being done immediately while the impossible takes a bit little longer.

 Keep an eye on that page and how those drone delivery impossibilities are continually updated and expanded.