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Tracker › Drone Delivery › Operators › Amazon Prime Air
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Amazon Prime Air: every hub, every incident, every unanswered question

Amazon says its MK30 delivery drone will reach nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of 2026. The 500 is not a list Amazon published. It is every municipality inside a 7.5-mile circle around each hub, and the hubs are named, with street addresses, in Amazon's own FAA filings. This page tracks all 40 of them, the aircraft flying from them, what has come down, and what Amazon has and has not said on the record.

By Haye KestelooUpdated Sept. 8, 2026Sources: FAA, Amazon, DroneXL reporting
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40
Hubs in FAA filings
8 states + Chicago, Baton Rouge, Omaha in review
35
Hubs FAA-approved
TX 22 · FL 6 · MI 4 · KC 2 · AZ 1
5
Hubs in FAA review
Chicago 3 · Baton Rouge 1 · Omaha 1
11
Metros operating
Per Amazon, Aug. 19, 2026
6
US incidents on record
Dec. 2024 to Aug. 2026
40,000
Flights per day authorized
1,000 per hub, on paper
0 / 8
Questions answered
8 specific, unanswered · 15 generic, due Sept. 15

The aircraft

MK30 · from FAA environmental filings
AircraftAmazon MK30, six-motor hybrid: vertical takeoff, wing-borne cruise
Empty weight77.9 lb (35.5 kg)
Maximum takeoff weight83.2 lb (37.8 kg)
Payload5 lb (2.3 kg), one internal package
Aircraft weight per pound of cargo15.6 lb (Zipline P2: 6.9 · Wing 7000W-B: about 5)
Range and area7.5 mi radius, 174 sq mi per hub
CruiseUp to 73 mph, typically 180 to 377 ft AGL
Delivery methodHovers and drops the package from about 13 ft; never lands off-site except in a contingency
Hours6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., up to 7 days a week (7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Texas filing)
Flights per hubUp to 1,000 per day, about 365,000 per year
RedundancyAmazon: no single point of failure can cause loss of control; backup flight controller; detect-and-avoid
Recovery systemNone. No parachute or ballistic recovery system in any filing or Amazon spec
Noise, measuredSEL 63.7 dBA under a 200 ft cruise pass at full load; about 82 dBA at 20 ft and 70 dBA at 75 ft in delivery hover (FAA Technical Noise Report). Pitch not stated.
How it compares
OperatorAircraftEmptyPayloadRecovery
AmazonMK3077.9 lb5 lbNone
ZiplineP2 Zip55 lb8 lbParachute
WingHummingbird 7000W-B / 8000-A14 lb / 24.3 lb MTOW2.3 to 2.7 lb / 5 to 6.6 lbLight airframe

Figures from FAA filings and published interviews.

What Amazon has said on the record

Design rationale, consistent since 2013: a 5-pound limit covers most of what Amazon sells (86% of items in 2013, over 60% of frequently purchased products in 2026); 7.5-mile range, double the MK27; propeller redesign cut perceived noise by about half.

On collisions and the absence of a parachute: nothing on the record. Eight written questions sent Sept. 3 went unanswered at the Sept. 5 deadline. Amazon's communications team replied twice on Sept. 4 about email delivery and not about the aircraft.

Where it flies

40 hubs · 4 announced metros · 6 incidents · 7.5-mile circles
Amazon Prime Air Solid: operating or FAA-approved Hollow: announced or in FAA review Dashed: former site Black ring: incident

Hub coordinates are placed from the street addresses in the FAA decisions and are approximate pending geocoding. Amazon lists 11 operating metros but does not say which hub inside a multi-hub metro is live; "operating" marks every approved hub in a metro Amazon says is active.

The 40 hubs

Click a column to sort
CodePlace↑StateDetailMetro / scopeStatusFAA decisionFiling

FAA authorizations

Every environmental review and re-evaluation on the FAA's public list
Metro or areaStateScopeAircraftFlights per dayStatusFAA decisionFiling
Tolleson (Phoenix)AZ1 hubMK30469 per dayOperating2024-11-19FAA PDF
Texas, 22 hubsTXDFW 7 · Houston 6 · San Antonio 3 · Austin 3 · Waco · San Marcos · El PasoMK301,000 per hubOperating2026-02-05FAA PDF
Detroit, 4 hubsMIHazel Park · Wixom · Pontiac · DetroitMK301,000 per hubOperating2026-05-01FAA PDF
Kansas City, 2 hubsKS/MOKansas City KS · Kansas City MOMK301,000 per hubOperating2026-05-01FAA PDF
Florida, 6 hubsFLRuskin · Tampa · Orlando · Tamarac · Riviera Beach · MiamiMK301,000 per hubOperating2026-06-01FAA PDF
Chicago, 3 hubsILMarkham · Matteson · West ChicagoMK301,000 per hubIn FAA reviewIn review (comments closed Aug 14, 2026)FAA PDF
Baton Rouge, 1 hubLA1 hubMK301,000In FAA reviewIn review (comments closed Jul 22, 2026)FAA PDF
Omaha (Papillion), 1 hubNE1 hubMK301,000In FAA reviewIn review (comments closed Jul 22, 2026)FAA PDF
College StationTXFormer first US siteMK27-2, MK30470 per dayFormer2024-09-18FAA PDF
9 FAA actions · 40 hubs filed · 35 approved, 5 in review · Atlanta, Cleveland, Syracuse and Boise announced with no filing found; they may proceed under the national programmatic EA signed July 28, 2026.

Markets in DroneXL's record

Where the aircraft are confirmed flying, and where they are promised
PlaceStatePartnerStatusSince / targetNoteSource
TollesonAZAmazonOperatingNov 2024Crane strikes Oct 1, 2025DroneXL
Richardson, Waco, San Antonio, RichmondTXAmazonOperating2025 to 2026Richmond pool drop Aug 17, 2026DroneXL
RuskinFLAmazonOperating2026DroneXL
Hazel Park, PontiacMIAmazonOperating2026DroneXL
Kansas CityKSAmazonOperating2026DroneXL
PapillionNEAmazonOperating2026FAA draft EA still openDroneXL
Baton RougeLAAmazonOperating2026FAA draft EA still openDroneXL
Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Syracuse, BoiseMultiAmazonAnnouncedAnnounced Aug 19, 2026Nearly 500 cities and towns by end of 2026DroneXL
11 metros operating per Amazon's Aug. 19, 2026 announcement · 5 metros announced · target: nearly 500 cities and towns by Dec. 31, 2026.

What has come down

US incidents on record · no serious injuries reported in any
DateLocationTypeWhat happenedOutcomeSource
2026-08-17Richmond, TXDeliveryPackage released from about 13 ft landed in the customer's swimming pool.No injuries; second pool delivery in a yearDroneXL
2026-02-04Richardson, TXCrashAircraft hit the side of an apartment building and landed on the sidewalk with propellers turning.Aircraft lost; no injuriesDroneXL
2025-11-18Waco, TXCrashAircraft clipped a residential internet cable 13 days after service launched.FAA probe; no injuriesDroneXL
2025-10-01Tolleson, AZCrashTwo aircraft struck the same construction crane boom minutes apart and came down in parking lots.Two aircraft lost; FAA/NTSB investigatingDroneXL
2025-10Tolleson, AZDeliveryEmergency landing on a residential sidewalk days after flights resumed.Aircraft recovered; no injuriesDroneXL
2024-12Pendleton, OR (test range)CrashTwo MK30s crashed in rain; sensor issue later identified. Nationwide pause in early 2025.Two aircraft lostDroneXL
6 rows. Descent in every collision: uncontrolled to the ground. Redundant motors address motor failure, not impact.

Questions for Amazon

Sent Sept. 3, 2026 · deadline Sept. 5 (round one) · Sept. 15 (round two) · 0 of 8
  1. 01
    FAA filings list the MK30 at 77.9 lb empty and 83.2 lb MTOW with a 5 lb payload. Zipline's P2 carries 8 lb at 55 lb empty; Wing's production aircraft carries 2.6 lb at about 12 lb. What drives the MK30's mass, and did Amazon evaluate a lighter airframe for the same 5 lb, 7.5-mile mission?
    No answer
  2. 02
    Does the MK30 carry a parachute or any ballistic recovery system? If not, was one evaluated, and why was it excluded?
    No answer
  3. 03
    After a mid-air collision with a fixed object, such as the crane in Tolleson, the cable in Waco or the building in Richardson, what is the MK30's designed descent behavior, and which systems remain functional?
    No answer
  4. 04
    What is the status of the FAA and NTSB investigation into the October 1, 2025 Tolleson crane strikes, and what changes did Amazon make to Detect-and-Avoid or operating procedures after Tolleson, Waco and Richardson?
    No answer
  5. 05
    Amazon's propeller redesign cut perceived noise by roughly half. Did Amazon test whether a smaller, lighter airframe with the same propeller design would be quieter still? What were the results?
    No answer
  6. 06
    Packages are released from about 13 feet. What does Amazon do to verify the drop zone is clear of water, people and pets, and what changed after the August 17 pool delivery in Richmond, Texas?
    No answer
  7. 07
    How many MK30 aircraft are in service today, and how many does Amazon expect to operate to serve nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of 2026?
    No answer
  8. 08
    Who is the on-the-record contact for DroneXL's future Prime Air coverage?
    No answer
Status

Every operator gets the same fifteen generic questions on the same terms: weight and payload, recovery system, collision behavior, single points of failure, delivery method, drop-zone checks, incident record, who gets the call, sound level, pitch, overflight frequency, cameras and data, liability, weather limits, and an engineer at the public meeting. Plus the specific set at left. Answers are published in full and this page is updated the day they arrive.

Amazon: sent Sept. 3, 2026, deadline Sept. 5 (round one) · Sept. 15 (round two). Result: 0 of 8. The 8 specific questions sent Sept. 3 went unanswered at the Sept. 5 deadline. Round two, the 15 generic questions, sent Sept. 8, due Sept. 15.

For your town

The council handout is operator-neutral. The FAA controls the airspace and the certificate; your town controls the site's zoning and permits, and the record it builds by asking.

Council questions

DroneXL coverage

Every row above links to one of these
Sep 6, 2026
Amazon Had Two Days To Answer 8 MK30 Safety Questions. It Didn't
Sep 3, 2026
Amazon's 83-Pound MK30 Heads To 500 Cities: Parachute Shmarachute
Aug 22, 2026
Amazon pool drop and what Zipline's design does differently
Aug 19, 2026
Amazon Prime Air's 500-city expansion: what the number counts
Feb 8, 2026
Amazon drone hits apartment building in Richardson, Texas
Nov 26, 2025
Second FAA probe: Waco drone clips residential cable
Oct 2, 2025
Two Prime Air drones slam into crane in Tolleson
May 16, 2025
Why Amazon's MK30 drones crashed: sensor issues exposed
Apr 2, 2026
Gravity Shmavity: the MK30 up close in Düsseldorf

Primary sources

Every figure on this page traces to one of these

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