Amazon Prime Air drone delivery launches in Cleveland area

NewsNorth Randall is the first Cleveland-area community to receive Amazon’s drone delivery service, which promises eligible deliveries in two hours or less. (Ron Wurzer/AP Images for Amazon)Ron Wurzer/AP Images for AmazonBy Kaylee Remington, cleveland.comcleveland.com Express DeskNORTH RANDALL, Ohio -- Amazon has launched its Prime Air drone delivery service in North Randall, making the Northeast Ohio community the first in Ohio to receive the company’s ultrafast drone delivery service, the tech giant announced.The service is available to eligible customers who live within 7.5 miles of Amazon’s fulfillment center in North Randall. Customers can order eligible items and have them delivered by drone in two hours or less, Amazon said.The service covers millions of items, including household essentials, health and wellness products, beauty supplies and technology accessories. Items must weigh five pounds or less and be available at the North Randall facility.“If it’s less than five pounds, fits in a large shoe box and Amazon has it in our North Randall Fulfillment Center, we can now deliver it to you by drone,” Luke Davis, Prime Air Operations Manager said in a statement provided to cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. “Especially if it’s an item you need right away, we’re excited to bring ultrafast drone delivery to the Cleveland area.”Amazon said it expects the service to create 55 additional jobs at its North Randall facility. The site will have 21 drones. The company first announced the drone delivery option coming to Northeast Ohio last month.Customers can identify eligible products by the “Drone delivery” label on Amazon. After selecting the option at checkout, first-time users must confirm a designated delivery spot at their home.The drone flies to the customer’s address and, before lowering the package, scans the area to make sure there are no people, pets or vehicles in the way, Amazon said.The drones are fully electric and operate autonomously using technology designed to detect and avoid obstacles. Amazon said all Prime Air operations are authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration.The service operates during daylight hours. Delivery costs $2.99 for Prime members and $4.99 for non-Prime customers. Prime members receive free drone delivery on orders of $50 or more.The drones are about 5.5-feet tall and 5-feet wide. Amazon said the drones produce no exhaust emissions because they are fully electric.The first drone delivery in Ohio was an electric bike charger, according to Amazon.Kaylee Remington joined cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in 2016 and is the news organization's Cuyahoga County suburban cities reporter, focusing on the communities surrounding Cleveland. Her reporting...