Amazon plans drone delivery expansion to about 500 US locales

It costs customers $4.99 for a drone delivery, or $2 less for Prime members, and the fee is waived on orders of at least $50.

Amazon has redesigned its Prime Air drone several times since 2013. Earlier models landed to drop off packages; the current version, known as the MK30, hovers a few feet above ground and releases them.

Amazon announced the expansion after Reuters contacted the company on Tuesday about the service.

The company will have to seek regulatory approval in each of the communities it plans to enter, often requiring local council hearings and feedback from residents. It has Federal Aviation Administration approval to fly them in most areas of the U.S., Amazon has said.

For example, at a planning and zoning meeting in Nampa, Idaho, in May, Amazon executive Sam Bailey was questioned about noise, safety and drone logistics for about an hour and listened to residents who opposed the service for a variety of reasons, including bird safety. Ultimately, the board voted unanimously to approve the service's rollout.