Setback
North Haven, Connecticut's top elected official said no decision on Amazon's plan for up to 1,000 Prime Air drone deliveries a day from its local warehouse would come until 2027.
A delay, pause or setback
What the source says
“North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda says no decision on Amazon ’s plan to fly up to 1,000 Prime Air drone deliveries a day from its North Haven warehouse will be made until sometime in 2027”
What it means
Prime Air (MK30), from Amazon, is at stage 4 of 5 on our ladder: paying customers. A setback stays on the record next to the milestones; the stage moves down only when the rules say so.
Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.
More on Prime Air (MK30)
- Massachusetts' aviation regulator told Amazon it cannot open a drone takeoff and landing site anywhere in the state without a state certificate, and that Amazon had not yet applied for one.
- Massachusetts' transportation department told Amazon in a letter that its proposed Prime Air drone delivery operation needed a state certificate of approval, and said it had received no application.
- Massachusetts' transportation department told Amazon it could not open a Prime Air drone pad in Westborough or elsewhere in the state without its certificate, and said Amazon had not applied.
- Amazon said Prime Air would start drone deliveries in Tallahassee, Florida, by mid-November, at a public showing of its MK30 drone; the building to house the drones was still under permit review.
- DroneXL reported that Amazon's hoped-for late-October start of Prime Air flights in Westborough, Massachusetts, had slipped, with a zoning appeal set for November 2 and a Planning Board hearing on November 10.
- Westborough, Massachusetts, voted 510 to 13 for a local rule banning commercial drone launch pads, aimed at Prime Air; it still needs state approval to take effect.