Amazon Prime Air Locks In Cleveland As Next MK30 Drone Delivery Metro
Amazon told Axios its Prime Air MK30 drones will start delivering packages across Cleveland and its eastern suburbs from the CLE2 fulfillment center in North Randall within a couple of months.
Key Takeaways
Amazon Prime Air will launch MK30 drone deliveries in Cleveland and its eastern suburbs within a couple of months from the CLE2 fulfillment center in North Randall, Ohio.
The site will start with 200-300 deliveries a day; Amazon targets 30-minute door-to-door delivery, with its fastest Prime Air delivery on record at 11 minutes.
The FAA-approved MK30 hexacopter carries packages up to 5 pounds within a 7.5-mile radius covering southeast Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Chagrin Falls and Solon.
Drone delivery costs $4.99 for Prime members and $9.99 for non-Prime customers, with daylight-only flights monitored by human operators.
Cleveland joins Baton Rouge, Omaha and planned upstate New York launches; Amazon is hiring safety compliance officers, maintenance techs and flight monitors locally.
Kaan Tınmaz
Amazon Prime Air is heading to Northeast Ohio. In an interview published July 13, Prime Air regional operations manager Erik Robertson told Axios that Amazon's autonomous MK30 delivery drones will begin flying over Cleveland and its eastern suburbs "within a couple of months," out of the retailer's CLE2 fulfillment center in North Randall.
200-300 Deliveries A Day At Launch
Construction, hiring and training at the former Randall Park Mall site are already underway. Robertson estimates the site will start with 200-300 deliveries a day, with capacity to grow substantially as customer awareness builds. The fastest-on-record Prime Air delivery to date is 11 minutes; Amazon's operational target is 30 minutes door-to-door.
7.5-Mile Radius, 5-Pound Payload
Prime Air's FAA-approved MK30 hexacopter carries packages up to five pounds, fits inside a shoebox, and operates within a 7.5-mile radius of the CLE2 depot — a zone stretching from southeast Cleveland through Cleveland Heights, Chagrin Falls and Solon. Prime members pay $4.99 for the drone option; non-Prime customers pay $9.99. Deliveries are limited to daylight hours with human operators monitoring each flight.
Cleveland Joins Baton Rouge, Omaha And Beyond
Cleveland adds to a fast-widening Prime Air map that this month has taken in Baton Rouge and Omaha, alongside earlier planned launches in upstate New York. Amazon employs about 45,000 people across Ohio and is now hiring safety compliance officers, maintenance techs and flight monitors for the Cleveland operation.
Reporting based on coverage from Axios Cleveland and Amazon Prime Air statements.
When will Amazon drone delivery start in Cleveland?
Amazon says MK30 drone deliveries will begin within a couple of months of the July 13 announcement, flying from the CLE2 fulfillment center in North Randall, with construction, hiring and training already underway.
How much does Amazon Prime Air drone delivery cost in Cleveland?
Prime members pay $4.99 per drone delivery, while non-Prime customers pay $9.99.
What areas of Cleveland will Amazon's drones serve?
Deliveries cover a 7.5-mile radius around the CLE2 depot in North Randall, stretching from southeast Cleveland through Cleveland Heights, Chagrin Falls and Solon.
What can the MK30 drone carry and how fast is delivery?
The MK30 carries packages up to 5 pounds that fit inside a shoebox. Amazon targets 30-minute door-to-door delivery; its fastest recorded delivery is 11 minutes.
