Amazon Prime Air to reach 500 US cities by 2026: a sixfold expansion

Amazon is about to make Prime Air much bigger. By the end of 2026, the company says its drone delivery service will reach nearly 500 U.S. cities, roughly six times its current footprint. For tens of millions of customers, Amazon is promising delivery in 30 minutes, or 30 to 60 minutes for small everyday orders.

Right now, Prime Air operates from 11 sites across 10 metro areas in Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. Chicago, Syracuse, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Boise are next. If you already use Amazon for household goods, small electronics, or health and beauty items, this may be worth trying once Prime Air gets to your area. Amazon says it plans to launch flights from same-day sites and robotic fulfillment centers, adding to its van network rather than replacing it.

Amazon first showed off Prime Air in 2013 and later got FAA Part 135 certification. Now it’s moving into a market where Wing, Zipline, and Walmart are expanding too, and the big questions are still there: whether shoppers will use it often, whether the economics work at scale, and how communities will respond to concerns about noise, safety, privacy, and delivery jobs. Amazon says Prime Air will be available to customers through Amazon, priced at $2.99 for Prime orders under $50, free above $50, and $4.99 for non-Prime customers.