Almost ten years after first promising 30-minute unmanned drone deliveries, Amazon is still struggling to get its futuristic new Prime Air programme off the ground—and now we know why.
According to Bloomberg, Amazon's ambitious flying delivery project has not only had to put up with a high staff turnover and numerous safety issues, but drone crashes and even forest fires.
Five delivery drones reportedly crashed in a four-month period at the retail giant's test site in Oregon, USA. One drone lost its propeller and plummeted to the ground, while another even caused a bush wildfire near to the testing facilities.
While in mid-air, the safety features of a drone malfunctioned and shut its motor off. The drone was flipped upside down and dropped 160 feet to the ground, sparking a fire that went on for 25 acres. This then allegedly had to be put out by fire fighters.
“Instead of a controlled descent to a safe landing, [the drone] dropped about 160 feet in an uncontrolled vertical fall and was consumed by fire,” the US federal aviation authorities said in a report obtained by Bloomberg.
Amazon Prime Air is also said to be facing some major issues in the UK too. The organisation has reportedly lost more than 100 employees as Amazon cuts back its operation.
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According to WIRED, those who worked on the project said it was "collapsing inwards" and was "organised chaos".
The company has been running test flights for around five years in the UK, and an Amazon spokesperson told WIRED that it will still maintain a Prime Air presence in the UK, but refused to say how many employees still worked for it and whether any test flights will continue in the UK.
So, if you're after something quickly, you might just have to be patient and wait. After all, Amazon Prime's same-day or one-day delivery is already quick as it is.
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