Amazon halts Connecticut drone delivery launch for further talks

Amazon has suspended its plan to start Prime Air drone deliveries from a warehouse in North Haven, Connecticut, while it holds more meetings with residents and government officials.

The town's First Selectman, Michael Freda, said the company told him it was pausing the initiative. He said Amazon agreed to meet members of the public, state legislators and the Regional Mayor's Council before deciding how to proceed.

Local planners approved the proposal in May. It still needed state and federal clearances. Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has pushed back the deadline for public comments on the plan to October 15.

The operation would use Amazon's MK30 delivery drone. According to the company, that aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 83.2 pounds and can carry parcels within a radius of 7.5 miles. Amazon has proposed running as many as 1,000 flights a day from each Prime Air delivery centre as part of wider expansion plans.

Some Connecticut lawmakers have questioned the noise the drones would make and their possible effects on wildlife. An Amazon spokesperson, Jack Stelzner, said the drones run entirely on electric power and emit no exhaust.

The North Haven review is taking place as Amazon pursues a larger Prime Air rollout. The company says the programme could reach close to 500 communities in the United States by the end of the year.

The expansion also faces a legal challenge. A group of 15 states and Harris County, Texas, has sued the FAA, contending the agency did not properly weigh environmental and safety effects before approving a nationwide framework for commercial drone delivery.