Amazon to begin drone deliveries in Lockeford, California this year

Image source, Amazon

Amazon will begin delivering parcels to shoppers by drones later this year, pending regulatory approval.

Users in the Californian town of Lockeford will be able to sign up to have their goods delivered by air.

The shopping giant has been trying to deliver drones for a long time.

The service would be rolled out more widely after Lockeford.

It said that the promise of drones felt like science fiction. Amazon customers in Lockeford, California, will be among the first to get Prime Air deliveries.

feedback about Prime Air will help us create a service that will scale to meet the needs of customers everywhere

In Lockeford, which has a population of about 4,000 people, the drones will be programmed to deliver parcels in the backyards.

They will be able to fly beyond line-of- sight, meaning they don't have to be controlled by a visual observer.

The goal is to get packages to customers quickly.

Amazon has been accused of using the promise of drone delivery as a headline-grabber in the past.

Jeff Bezos promised a fleet of delivery drones within 5 years. In the new year, Amazon said it would deliver by drones to customers.

The retailer said it rigorously tested its flights in compliance with all applicable regulations.

The company ran a trial in Cambridge in December of last year. The package was delivered by drones in 13 minutes.

Walmart is one of the companies that has tested drone delivery partnerships.

Customers in Lockeford will see Prime Air-eligible items on Amazon once they're onboard. They will place an order and get an estimated arrival time with a status tracker.

For these deliveries, the drones will fly to the designated delivery location, descend to the customer's backyard, and hover at a safe height." It will release the package and go up in the air.