Amazon will expand drone delivery to 500 US cities and towns by end of 2026, company says

Retail giant Amazon will expand drone delivery to nearly 500 cities and towns in the United States -- a sixfold increase from its current footprint -- by the end of 2026, the company announced on Wednesday.

The move will bring drone delivery of lightweight packages to tens of millions of customers in an array of metro areas including Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Omaha, Tampa and more, Amazon said in a blog post.

Amazon's drone delivery service -- which the company calls Prime Air -- currently makes thousands of deliveries each day to customers in seven states, including Florida and Texas.

The drones use onboard cameras and sensors to navigate, but the technology does not record a live video feed monitored by an employee, Amazon said. The company said the service is limited to packages that weigh 5 pounds or less.

"Customers already turn to Amazon for fast Same- and Next-Day Delivery, and Prime Air provides them an even speedier option when they need it," David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air, said in a statement.

Amazon said it plans to launch drone delivery soon in the metro areas of Chicago, Syracuse, Cleveland, Atlanta and Boise, with more locations to come later this year.

The move arrives two months after Walmart announced expansion plans for its drone delivery service, which the company said would reach 40 million customers by next year. Both Amazon and Walmart tout drone deliveries that reach a customer in as little as 30 minutes.

The drones, which are fully powered by electricity, can fly in light rain and a range of temperatures, Amazon said.

Amazon Prime members receive free drone delivery for orders of $50 or more, and receive a charge of $2.99 for orders under $50. Customers without an Amazon Prime membership receive a drone delivery charge of $4.99 on any order.