Amazon reportedly reverses course on drone delivery in Italy

In a statement to Reuters, the online giant cited regulatory issues as a key factor in its decision to halt plans to deliver online orders via drone to Italian customers, Chain Store Age reports.

“Following a strategic review, ‌we have decided ⁠to stop our commercial drone delivery plans in Italy,” Amazon said in the statement. “Despite positive engagement ‍and progress with Italian aerospace regulators, the broader business regulatory framework in the country does not, at this time, support ⁠our longer-term objectives for this ‌program.”

In a response to Amazon’s statement, the Italian civil aviation agency ENAC told CNBC the decision to halt development of drone delivery in Italy was “unexpected” and connected to “recent financial events involving (Amazon)” rather than regulatory issues.

Amazon has been offering drone deliveries of orders in select U.S. markets since 2022, and in January 2025 began an ongoing planning process for initial flights from its fulfillment center in the U.K. city of Darlington. The company previously tested drone delivery in the U.K. in 2016 but never moved beyond pilot stage in that project.

In April 2025, Amazon resumed drone deliveries from its Tolleson, Ariz. and College Station, Texas fulfillment facilities following a software update to its latest MK30 drone model, which is used at those sites. The company had decided to temporarily stop drone deliveries in January 2025.

Amazon has set a goal of having drones deliver 500 million packages globally by the end of the decade.