Amazon has announced that it will no longer pursue plans to deliver goods by drone in Italy, citing regulatory and business challenges as the reason for the decision.
In a statement to Reuters on Sunday, the company said the move followed a strategic review, noting that although it made good progress with Italian aerospace regulators, the wider business regulatory environment in the country does not currently support its long term objectives for the drone delivery programme.
The decision came as a surprise to Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, which described the move as unexpected. The agency said the decision was based on company policy and linked to recent financial developments involving the Amazon Group.
Amazon had earlier announced in December 2024 that it successfully completed initial drone delivery tests in San Salvo, a town in Italy’s central Abruzzo region. Despite those trials, the company has now opted to halt its commercial drone delivery plans in the country.