Amazon halts Prime Air drone delivery rollout in Italy
Amazon has halted its Prime Air commercial drone delivery plans in Italy after a strategic review despite successful test flights and regulator cooperation.
Key facts
- Amazon stopped Prime Air commercial drone plans in Italy after a strategic review, not for safety reasons.
- Successful MK-30 test flights took place in San Salvo with constructive cooperation from ENAC and ENAV.
- ENAC said the decision was unexpected and likely tied to Amazon's broader financial and business considerations.
2 minute read
Amazon has pulled the plug on its Prime Air commercial drone rollout in Italy following an internal strategic review. The move comes months after successful test flights in San Salvo using the MK-30 delivery drone, and despite what Amazon described as constructive cooperation with Italian aviation authorities. Company statements emphasise that the decision is not a reflection of aviation safety or a failure to engage with regulators, but instead results from wider business and regulatory considerations.
Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC said it was surprised by the announcement and suggested recent financial events within the Amazon group likely influenced the decision. Operational coordination with ENAC and air navigation manager ENAV had progressed, and San Salvo had been selected for tests because of its proximity to a major Amazon distribution centre and regional logistics role.
The termination of the Italian programme underscores a broader reality in European unmanned delivery: technical validation and regulator buy-in are necessary but may be insufficient. Commercial deployment ultimately hinges on market conditions, legal frameworks, cost structures and corporate strategic priorities. Amazon has not excluded future European drone initiatives and continues testing elsewhere, including the United Kingdom, but Italy will not be part of Prime Air plans for the foreseeable future.
Source: DroneWatch
