Amazon Prime Air lays off 80% of flight operations personnel

Today, we learn that Amazon Prime Air, the drone delivery business, laid off around 80% of its flight operations personnel without a proper warning.

According to a now-former Amazon employee, personnel in all of Amazon’s drone delivery business locations, including Lockeford, College Station, Seattle, and Pendleton, are affected.

The unexpected layoffs have also impacted the Amazon Prime Air safety team.

“The cuts weren’t based on merit, [but] rather strictly on salary. They kept the cheaper personnel,” a source with intimate knowledge of the layoffs informed DroneXL.

The layoffs among flight operations personnel occurred in the midst of both customer deliveries and a Durability and Reliability campaign for a type certification on Amazon’s new delivery aircraft.

According to our sources, Amazon is explaining the unfortunate turn of events as a “learning experience” for those still working in the retailer’s drone delivery program.

However, the majority of people still employed in Amazon’s drone program have actively begun to look elsewhere, implying that the drone delivery program is “currently dead.” according to our source.

Unlike what Jeff Bezos famously announced in 2013, it appears that drone deliveries will not become a routine business occurrence for Amazon Prime Air anytime soon.

Read More:

• ALMOST 10 YEARS AFTER BEZOS’ INFAMOUS STATEMENT, AMAZON PRIME AIR DRONE DELIVERY TAKES OFF IN COLLEGE STATION
• AMAZON ORDERS DELIVERED BY DRONE TO CUSTOMERS IN LOCKEFORD, CALIF. LATER THIS YEAR
• AMAZON DELIVERY DRONE CRASHED AND CAUSED FIRE SAYS FAA REPORT

Amazon delivery drone