KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Global e-commerce giant Amazon says it is reviewing the possibility of adding drone delivery to the Kansas City market.
The service, marketed as Prime Air, would deliver qualifying packages within a defined service area, dropping the packages within a customer’s property. The company would aim to deliver an order in 60 minutes or less using a fleet of battery-powered drones.
Earlier this month, the Kansas City, Missouri, Planning Commission met and approved a request by Amazon for a special use permit to develop Amazon Drone Delivery at its existing warehouse near the interchange of Interstate 49 and Missouri Highway 150, near the former Richards-Gebaur Airport.
“We’re reviewing options and working with local officials to possibly bring Prime Air to Kansas City - which would support our efforts to provide fast delivery and great service to local customers," Amazon regional spokesperson Andy DiOrio said in a statement to KSHB 41 News. "This process is in the early planning stages and additional steps remain. We’ll share more when we can."
The drones, designated MK30, would be based at a Prime Air Drone Delivery Center, a 9,000 square-foot space that would include drone launch pads, battery charging stations and an operations center to keep track of drone deliveries.
According to documents filed with the city, the drone would take off from a launch pad at the facility and then transition to horizontal flight along a pre-determined flight path until it arrived at the customer’s location.
The drone would then descend to about 12 feet and scan for any obstacles, people or pets before dropping the package off or returning to base.
Amazon says the packages would be delivered in a special box with extra cushioning to protect the ordered items.
Amazon says its drones have a range of 7.5 miles and can carry a package weighing up to five pounds.
The drone itself measures five feet by five feet and weighs 83 pounds. It can operate in light rain and wind. Automated onboard systems help it avoid other aerial objects like aircraft, cranes and temporary structures. All drone deliveries would be flown at an altitude of under 400 feet.
Documents filed with the city indicate Amazon could launch the service from the south Kansas City location by the end of 2025.
Amazon’s proposed facility still requires review and approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The company launched Prime Air drone delivery in November 2024 in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
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