Amazon drone deliveries could soon take flight in Mass.

Key Points:

• Amazon plans to expand its drone delivery service to 500 U.S. cities and towns in 2024, including Westborough, Massachusetts, where it seeks to upgrade a facility to support drone operations.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Amazon to operate delivery drones beyond visual line of sight, but the company is still awaiting state approval from Massachusetts' Aeronautics Division for landing areas.
• Amazon’s electric, fully autonomous drones can carry packages up to 5 pounds within a 7.5-mile radius, typically flying at 60-74 mph and designed to operate in various weather conditions, with safety features like obstacle avoidance and encrypted cameras.
• Residents and officials in Westborough expressed concerns about noise, privacy, and safety, highlighting incidents of drone crashes and questioning local control over drone flight paths, which are regulated by the FAA.
• Amazon emphasizes that drone cameras are solely for navigation and collision avoidance, with no live video monitoring or data selling, and states that noise levels are comparable to common urban sounds like traffic.