Amazon readies drones for Baton Rouge
Packages will be delivered within an 8-mile radius of the launch area. Prime members will pay $5 extra per delivery.
Amazon says Prime Air can deliver packages weighing up to five pounds in under 60 minutes. If that arrives here on schedule, some orders in Baton Rouge will bypass one of the city’s most reliable obstacles: Baton Rouge traffic.
What’s happening: Amazon plans to begin drone deliveries in Baton Rouge by mid-summer. Yesterday, An Amazon employee demonstrated a drone and detailed how the delivery works: smaller packages are lowered and dropped into customers’ backyards. The firm has been building a drone dispatch area at its massive fulfillment center at Airline and Florida.
How it works: Amazon launched Prime Air in the U.S. in 2022. The service:
- Is a faster last-mile option for household goods, medications and other eligible items
- Operates within a 7–8 mile radius of specialized distribution centers, aiming for delivery within 60 minutes to 2 hours.
- Charges customers who have Prime $5 for the faster service. Non-members pay $10.
The flip side: People in some cities are complaining that the drones are noisy and, look out, drop packages from 10 feet in the air.
The local angle: In a city where a short drive can become a small test of character, the appeal is obvious. A drone does not get stuck because a train is crossing College Drive.
What to watch: How large the Baton Rouge service area will be, which neighborhoods qualify first and how comfortable residents are with packages descending into backyards from the sky.
The bottom line: Baton Rouge has spent years waiting on faster delivery. Amazon appears ready to try the air.
