Amazon plans to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service to nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of 2026, a sixfold increase on its current coverage. The move marks a significant scale-up for the programme, which delivers packages weighing up to 5lb (2.3kg) and has already handled hundreds of thousands of orders this year, most arriving within about 60 minutes of checkout.

New Prime Air sites will soon launch in the Chicago, Syracuse, Cleveland, Atlanta and Boise metro areas, joining 11 existing US locations, with each site covering roughly 175 square miles. Amazon says more communities will be added later in the year and has reiterated its safety measures, including a "Detect-and-Avoid" system, amid ongoing scrutiny after drones were previously involved in incidents such as crashing into cranes, internet cables, gardens and an apartment building.