Guests view Amazon’s Prime Air MK30 drone during a media preview event at the Museum of Science & Industry on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Tampa. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
This article was first published by the Tampa Bay Times on Oct. 1.
Amazon aims to bring drone delivery services to those within an 8-mile radius of the Ruskin fulfillment center by the end of the year.
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By Hayden Randolph
Amazon Prime Air is bringing delivery drones to Tampa Bay by the end of the year, which means even faster delivery times for residents.
By clicking the “drone delivery” option when ordering at Amazon, customers will receive their order within one hour. Josh Brundage, senior manager of commercial operations for Prime Air, said that the drones will begin operating from Amazon’s fulfillment center in Ruskin, the first in Florida.
“It’s about an eight-mile radius from that location,” Brundage said during a drone demonstration event in Tampa Monday. “Everyone that falls within that circle will be eligible for delivery.”
Amazon officials did not give an official launch date for the service just yet.
Prime Air is currently in full operation in Tucson, Ariz. There, Amazon Prime members pay a $4.99 fee for delivery within the hour, Brundage said. Amazon has received positive feedback on their drone delivery system in Tucson and hope to hear the same response in Tampa.
Amazon workers set up the Prime Air MK30 drone for display during a media preview event at the Museum of Science & Industry on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Tampa. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
Brundage said that besides faster delivery times, the system will not have a substantial impact on customers’ experiences. Flying above 150 feet and below 400 feet, Brundage said that the drones will be mostly unnoticeable unless you are looking for them.
“We don’t want to add extra traffic,” he said. “We don’t want to do anything to the community other than get them the orders they need as safely and as quickly as possible.”
Retailers have been testing the waters of delivery drones for years now. In 2023, Walmart piloted a drone delivery option from a store on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Tampa, as part of nine stores in Florida testing the service.
“Amazon already has close to 3,000-plus part-time and full-time employees, and they’re gonna be adding several dozen more through this new delivery system,” said Michael Allen, senior vice president of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, who attended Monday’s event. “With the more wealth we create, the more wealth comes into the community overall.”
Amazon is using the Prime Air MK30 drone for these local deliveries. Monday’s event at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa was the first time the MK30 device was shown in the area.
Amazon’s Prime Air MK30 drone is displayed during a media preview event at the Museum of Science & Industry on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Tampa. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
John Smith, CEO and president of the museum said the drone will be on display Nov. 9-11. Anyone visiting the museum will be able to see the new technology up close.
“What we’re trying to do here at MOSI is obviously connect kids and adults with career pathways in science fields,” he said. “You can take our drone camps and get your certification and there’s a career at the end of all of that locally here with Amazon, so it really closes the loop.”
Whether customers are hosting a group of guests or may be unwell and can’t leave the house, this service is intended for customers who need products quickly, Brundage said.
“It’s really a win-win for everybody.”