ROME — December 28, 2025
Amazon announced on Sunday that it will no longer pursue commercial drone delivery operations in Italy, halting expansion of its Prime Air program in the country.
In a statement, the e-commerce giant said that, following a strategic review, it had decided to stop the plans. “Despite positive engagement and progress with Italian aerospace regulators, the broader business regulatory framework in the country does not, at this time, support our longer-term objectives for this program,” Amazon explained.
The decision comes just a year after the company completed successful initial drone delivery tests in San Salvo, a town in the central Abruzzo region, in December 2024. Amazon had planned to launch commercial operations in Italy in 2025, pending full approvals.
Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC described the move as unexpected, stating that it appeared linked to internal company policy and “recent financial events involving the Group.”
The setback reflects ongoing challenges for Amazon’s ambitious Prime Air initiative, which aims to deliver packages via autonomous drones for ultra-fast service. While the company has made strides in aerospace approvals, broader regulatory environments—including business, privacy, and operational rules—continue to pose hurdles in various markets.
Amazon remains committed to drone delivery elsewhere, conducting tests and operations in select U.S. locations and pursuing scalability globally.
