NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 04:58 ET
- Amazon said it will no longer pursue plans for commercial drone deliveries in Italy after a strategic review.
- Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC said the move was unexpected and indicated Amazon may seek certification in another EU member state.
- Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery service is now live in Hazel Park, Michigan, offering short-range deliveries of items up to five pounds, a local report said.
Amazon said it has halted plans to launch commercial drone deliveries in Italy, stepping back from a European expansion effort after what it described as a strategic review.
The pullback matters now because Amazon is still trying to broaden Prime Air, its drone delivery program, even as regulators scrutinize how unmanned aircraft can be used in populated areas. The company is also pushing ahead with new U.S. service areas.
Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, said it was caught off guard by Amazon’s decision and said the company planned to pursue the launch of commercial operations and seek certification as an operator in another European Union member state.
Amazon said it had made good progress with Italian aerospace regulators but that Italy’s broader business regulatory framework did not support the company’s longer-term objectives for the drone program.
ENAC said Amazon’s move was driven by internal company policy and followed what it described as recent financial developments involving the group.
Amazon had flagged Italy as a potential next step after it announced the successful completion of initial drone delivery tests in San Salvo, in the central Abruzzo region, in December 2024.
In its communication carried by Italian media, Amazon said its drone delivery projects in the United States and the United Kingdom were continuing, citing test flights and commercial deliveries it said were effective and well received.
Amazon also pointed to its broader Italian footprint, saying it has invested more than 25 billion euros in Italy over the past 15 years and employs more than 19,000 people directly across more than 60 sites.
With Wall Street heading into the final trading days of the year, weekend headlines can still shape the tone when U.S. markets reopen. “Momentum is certainly on the side of the bulls,” said Paul Nolte, senior wealth adviser and market strategist at Murphy & Sylvest Wealth Management. TechStock²
Amazon’s drone program is expanding in the United States even as it pauses Italy. The company has launched Prime Air drone delivery in Hazel Park, Michigan, this month, the Metro Detroit News reported.
The service operates from Amazon’s Hazel Park fulfillment center near 10 Mile Road and Dequindre Road, the report said.
Drones can deliver packages weighing up to five pounds within an estimated 7–8 mile radius, covering parts of Hazel Park, Ferndale, Madison Heights, Royal Oak and Warren, plus some areas of Detroit, according to the report.
Eligible customers in the coverage area may see a drone delivery option at checkout on select items, the Metro Detroit News reported.
Prime Air is Amazon’s effort to use autonomous drones for short-distance delivery of small items, an approach the company has positioned as a way to speed up last-mile delivery.
Drone delivery is also drawing interest from other large retailers. Walmart and Alphabet’s Wing have said they plan to expand drone delivery to additional Walmart stores in U.S. markets.
Amazon did not spell out which parts of Italy’s broader business rules were the key obstacle, while ENAC said it had received the company’s formal notice suspending the San Salvo project.
