Amazon has temporarily halted its drone delivery test operations following a crash at one of its facilities, as reported by Bloomberg. This incident represents yet another hiccup for Amazon’s Prime Air program. The initiative, which has been facing challenges, is aimed at delivering approximately 500 million packages annually by the close of this decade.
Rainy weather at the Pendleton, Oregon, testing facility was reportedly the culprit, causing two Amazon drones to collide in December. An earlier trial in September also went awry due to a double-testing error, leading to a drone collision when operators were investigating propeller failure scenarios.
In response to these mishaps, Amazon has decided to suspend drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona, its two major commercial drone operational areas. This pause will remain in effect until a software update can be pushed to the company’s drone fleet.
These recent incidents add to the catalogue of challenges that Amazon’s drone program has faced, including losing key executive members. Moreover, Amazon had pulled the plug on its Prime Air drone delivery operations in California last April. Despite these challenges, Amazon remains determined to extend its drone delivery trials internationally.
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