Latest in Gear

Image credit: Jordan Stead / Amazon

Amazon reduces the size of its delivery drone team

It will partner with outside agencies as it tries to make the system ready to go.
Daniel Cooper, @danielwcooper
November 20, 2020
103 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Sponsored Links

Image of Amazon's Prime Air Drone v2.0
Jordan Stead / Amazon

Amazon has confirmed that it is laying off a number of people working on its internal drone delivery project. The Financial Times reported that the mega-retailer had opted to shrink its internal team in favor of using external contractors to complete the work. The report’s anonymous sources said that executives were frustrated at the speed of progress, leading to the change in strategy.

The first two companies to sign up are FACC Aerospace from Austria and Aernnova Aerospace from Spain, which are both component manufacturers. Reportedly, other businesses are expected to sign up in the near future, as Amazon tries to push Prime Air closer to reality. That project will see drones deposit small Amazon packages on people’s front yards, which it has been using in its advertising for several years.

Spokesperson Kristen Kish told the FT and TechCrunch that the layoffs were part of regular business operations, and that it affects only a single team. Kish added that affected people are being offered roles at other parts of Amazon’s business that “best match their experience and needs.” Earlier this year, the FAA granted approval for Amazon to begin testing its concept, as it races to keep pace with rivals like Walmart

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Comment
Comments
Share
103 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Popular on Engadget

Google will officially support running Chrome OS on old PCs

Google will officially support running Chrome OS on old PCs

View
Japan's space agency shows off samples collected from asteroid Ryugu

Japan's space agency shows off samples collected from asteroid Ryugu

View
Google won't reopen its offices until September 2021

Google won't reopen its offices until September 2021

View
MacBook Pro M1 review (13-inch, 2020): Pro, but only to a point

MacBook Pro M1 review (13-inch, 2020): Pro, but only to a point

View
Tech’s biggest winners in 2020

Tech’s biggest winners in 2020

View

From around the web

Page 1Page 1ear iconeye iconFill 23text filevr