Amazon is set to resume its drone delivery operations in Arizona on Friday, even as two federal agencies continue to look into a recent crash.
Operations in the West Valley area of Phoenix—the company’s sole commercial drone delivery market—were paused after an incident on Wednesday. Two Prime Air drones struck a crane boom near Amazon’s same-day delivery facility in Tolleson, Arizona, causing both drones to fall.
Since November 2024, Amazon has been using its Prime Air drones to deliver packages weighing up to five pounds to customers in Phoenix’s West Valley.
Company spokesperson Terrence Clark stated that Amazon will keep cooperating with “ongoing reviews by relevant agencies.” The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on Thursday that they are investigating the crash.
“Safety remains our highest priority. After conducting our own internal assessment, we are confident there were no faults with the drones or their supporting technology,” Clark said in an email. “However, we have implemented new measures, such as improved visual inspections of the area, to better detect moving obstacles like cranes.”
The initiative has encountered multiple challenges over the years—including the exit of important executives—as Amazon continues to pursue its aim of delivering 500 million packages annually by drone before the decade ends.
Drone testing was also suspended by Amazon after two of its drones collided in mid-air in Oregon in December 2024. At that point, Amazon announced it would pause drone deliveries in both College Station, Texas, and Arizona until a software update was completed. The company has since ceased operations in College Station.
Despite setbacks, Amazon has achieved some successes, such as obtaining approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to operate its drones over longer distances. This approval, granted in May 2024, eliminated a regulatory barrier and enabled Amazon to broaden its Prime Air service. The company has previously announced plans to expand Prime Air deliveries in Texas cities like Richardson, San Antonio, and Waco, as well as to new locations in Detroit and Kansas City.
