Amazon plans to start drone delivery in South Jersey

Autonomous drones may soon be delivering Amazon packages across South Jersey.

Amazon representatives have told local officials and emergency responders that the ecommerce giant plans to start drone-delivery service out of its West Deptford facility this fall, according to West Deptford Mayor James Mehaffey and Mantua Township Police Chief William Murphy.

The news comes days after Amazon announced a massive expansion of its Prime Air program, which already delivers packages via drone from launch sites in 11 U.S. cities, none of which are in the Northeast.

By the end of the year, Amazon said it wants to expand its drone coverage area to nearly 500 cities and towns nationwide, allowing tens of millions of customers to get products flown to their doorsteps in 30 minutes to an hour.

The announcement is the latest effort by Amazon to decrease delivery times and hold its edge as the world’s most popular online retailer — and the most lucrative company in terms of sales. In May, Amazon rolled out 30-minute ground-delivery across Philadelphia.

Amazon’s top rival, Walmart, recently announced its plans to offer drone delivery in Philadelphia.

» READ MORE: Walmart plans to bring delivery drones to Philly. What that means for Amazon and the same-day delivery wars.

“We are always exploring new ways to get customers a wider selection at faster speeds,” Amazon spokesperson Smitha Rao said in a statement, in response to The Inquirer’s questions about the South Jersey meeting, which occurred last week.

“We are currently working with local officials and exploring opportunities to expand our fast, reliable drone delivery service to reach customers in areas across the country.”

Amazon is hiring for several West Deptford-based Prime Air positions, including flight monitor, ground manager, and a safety and compliance officer. The job listings were posted on the company’s online portal last month.

The West Deptford warehouse opened in 2018 as the company’s fourth robotic fulfillment center, where robots and humans work together. It has also been the site of a walkout by employees who say they deserve better pay and working conditions.

According to local officials briefed on the Amazon plans, the company’s drones would fly out of the warehouse at 240 Mantua Grove Road, a 650,000-square-foot facility that sits next to I-295 and is among the company’s largest in the region.

The company’s drones can typically deliver to addresses within 175 square miles of each launch site.

In a Facebook post from the Mantua Township Police Department account, Chief Murphy shared a screenshot of the local drone-delivery radius that he said Amazon shared during the Zoom meeting. The photo indicated that drones from the West Deptford site would be able to reach places within about a 15-mile radius —in New Jersey, from Bellmawr to Mullica Hill, as well as parts of Ridley Park, Darby, Glenolden, and South Philadelphia across the Delaware River.

Amazon told local officials that the drones would operate from 15 minutes before sunrise to 15 minutes after sunset, according to Murphy, and be authorized to fly at altitudes below 400 feet, in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

The company plans to start drone delivery from West Deptford as early as October, according to Murphy and Mehaffey.

Amazon’s drones can deliver groceries, cosmetics, medications, even iPhones — anything that weighs 5 pounds or less and fits in a large shoebox. Amazon says those characteristics apply to more than 60% of its most popular products.

Customers can browse drone-deliverable items the same way they search for any other Amazon products, according to the company, and select the best spot for a drone to leave the package.

Amazon Prime members can get complimentary drone delivery on orders of $50 or more, or pay an extra $2.99 on orders under $50. Nonmembers can pay $4.99 for drone delivery.

» READ MORE: Philly shoppers have a ‘love/hate relationship’ with Amazon but can’t stop spending — as much as $2,000 a month

The drones are not monitored by humans in real time, according to Amazon. Instead, the devices use an autonomous system of cameras and sensors to navigate, avoid obstacles, and deliver the package safely.

Some South Jersey residents said they have questions about those cameras, as well as the impact Amazon drones may have on their quality of life, safety, and environment. As of Sunday, more than 100 people had signed a petition asking for public hearings and written disclosures about Prime Air and its data practices before the drones start flying in the area.

Amazon said in its expansion announcement that the drone’s cameras do not “track individuals or record movement.” The drones are electric, emit no exhaust, and make little noise, according to the company. The drones are quieter during drop-off than “an idling delivery truck,” Amazon said, and sound similar to a “window fan on low” while in flight. The company said people indoors cannot typically hear the drones outside.

In areas where the drones are already flying, company spokesperson Rao said, “the response from customers using Prime Air has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Mantua Township Mayor Bob Zimmerman told residents in a Facebook post that the Amazon drones were “forthcoming.”

“Please understand that whether you are for, or against deliveries of this kind by drones, we have no say over the matter,” wrote Zimmerman, who did not return a request for additional comment.

Amazon has not said whether it plans to fly drones from other warehouses in the Philadelphia area, and has not posted Prime Air job openings at other local sites.

The company has dozens of facilities across the region, with larger warehouses in Carneys Point and Logan Townships, New Jersey, and near Wilmington. Officials in those areas did not return requests for comment.

Jason Bobst, township manager of West Norriton Township in Montgomery County, said the company has not been in touch about flying drones from its facility there.

“We have not been approached by Amazon regarding drone delivery operations from its West Norriton facility, nor have we received any indication that Amazon is currently considering that location for drone delivery service,” Bobst said in an email.

Bobst said township officials did have a preliminary conversation about Walmart looking to expand its drone delivery service in the area, but nothing formal has been presented.

In recent weeks, food-delivery apps Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash have also have unveiled similar plans, but have not started flying to Philly-area customers.