Amazon Plans NJ Drone Delivery Facility
Amazon is planning a drone launch facility at 240 Mantua Grove Road in West Deptford Township, with a proposed delivery area covering almost all of Mantua Township and the Borough of Wenonah, according to Mantua Township Police Chief William Murphy.
Murphy said local police and emergency management officials met with Amazon representatives, who said drone deliveries are expected to begin in mid-October.
The drones would operate from 15 minutes before sunrise until 15 minutes after sunset at altitudes below 400 feet.
The South Jersey plans come as Amazon prepares for a major nationwide Prime Air expansion. The company expects the service to reach nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of 2026, about six times its current footprint and enough to reach communities with tens of millions of customers.
Prime Air offers deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes for eligible products weighing 5 pounds or less that fit in a large shoebox. Amazon said millions of products, including groceries, electronics, cosmetics, medications and household items, are eligible at most Prime Air locations.
The service currently operates in parts of seven states: Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas. Additional launches are planned this year, including in New York.
Amazon said its Prime Air operation holds FAA Part 135 certification. Its drones use onboard cameras and sensors for navigation, obstacle detection and delivery. The company said the drones process camera data themselves and no person monitors live camera feeds.
Prime members receive free drone delivery on orders of at least $50. Smaller orders cost Prime members $2.99 and non-Prime customers $4.99 per delivery.
