On December 7, 2016, Amazon, the giant e-commerce, delivered it’s first package via drone. The package was delivered in Cambridge, London. It’s delivering packages in a small area using drones. The service through which packages are delivered to customers is called Amazon Prime Air.
Currently, Amazon is testing it’s drones and the service by delivering packages to a small area in Cambridge. Currently, it’s delivering only the areas nearby fulfillment center. They are testing this service 7 days a week. The UK government also gave them the permission to fly amazon drones.
When the first drone delivered the package, it took only 13 minutes to deliver that. It was the fastest delivery ever. As Amazon is known for it’s amazing services and fast deliveries, so it’s setting another benchmarks and achievements by delivering the packages, even more, faster than it’s one and two-hour delivery.
Amazon one hour and two-hour delivery is available for only Amazon Prime members. Prime members can place an order using the prime now app and Amazon will deliver the packages according to the delivery window you chose. Two-hour delivery is free and one-hour delivery will cost you $7.99. So if you can wait for one hour then no need to pay for the shipping.
If we don’t include drone deliveries, then there are so many carrier companies are involved in Amazon delivery. Carrier companies like UPS, USPS, DHL, FedEx, i-parcel, Home Direct etc deliver Amazon packages.
Amazon is waiting for the regulators to soften their rules and restrictions. It’s currently permitted to deliver packages in some areas under some conditions. It can’t fly drones during daylight hours because of the restrictions.
The drones are designed in a way that they can land and take off vertically like the planes. They can fly within the distance of 10 miles and 400 feet above from the ground. 2.27 Kg weight can be lifted by drones and they can only deliver packages that take maximum 30 minutes or less.
Drone delivery is currently free for prime members and Amazon is delivering packages to other customers through the regular services. Customers can even Usps track package while their package is under shipping process.
Drone delivery is under testing process that’s why Amazon is delivering packages seven days a week and in the areas where delivery with drones is not available, there it’s delivering packages of prime member through U.S Postal service. The delivery is known as Amazon or USPS Sunday delivery.
Where many people are supporting deliveries using drones, there are a huge number of people too who are against it. They said that it’ll ruin their privacy and security. According to a survey also, Amazon found that 53% people are not in favor of drone delivery. They are happy with the current delivery services. Some other big companies like UPS, Google, DHL Express are also experimenting with drones.
Amazon will expand it’s limits by offering drone deliveries to some other areas also. It’s currently testing it and very soon will start delivering packages in major cities.