Amazon Shifts Direction for Drone Deliveries

We all know Amazon for their uncanny ability to get packages to us lightning-fast, often to our surprise and delight. But, in an unexpected turn of events, the powerhouse is making changes to their delivery department.

Just recently, news broke that the drone delivery division of Amazon was hit hard by layoffs. Ouch!

What Exactly is Amazon Doing?

It seems Amazon made cuts to their Prime Air division – the department responsible for drone delivery testing and development. Apparently, they laid off dozens of software engineers and other individuals who worked in the drone division.

What?! We’re all undoubtedly scratching our heads as to why the ecommerce giant is bowing out of the drone delivery business.

The Reasons Behind the Change

Though exact details remain unknown, reports suggest that Amazon shuttered the Prime Air division due to a lack of progress. Apparently, the drone delivery program has yet to take off and, consequently, the trial has been put on hold.

Beyond that, we’ve heard murmurs that the company doesn’t have the same amount of resources to devote to the program as they once did. Guess they had to cut back somewhere…

What Does This Mean for Amazon and Drone Delivery?

Though drone delivery isn’t successful at this time, Amazon’s investment in the technology shows promise. And, considering the advances we’ve seen in the drone industry lately, there’s hope that Amazon still plans to develop this delivery system in the future.

For now, here are some potential other uses of drones at Amazon:

• Meal Delivery – suppose you order a meal and the drone brings it to your doorstep?
• Snack Delivery – imagine ordering popcorn for that pool party you have coming up and the drone flying it to you? Or, being able to stock up on chips for your movie night?
• Window Shopping – maybe you’re a window shopper and you want to browse Amazon’s products? A drone could give you a real-time look at various items from the comfort of your living room.

At the end of the day, only time will tell what Amazon has planned for future drone delivery. In the meantime, we can keep our fingers crossed and hope it was a temporary cut!