Nandini Roy Choudhury, writer
Brief news
- Amazon’s Prime Air drones are causing noise complaints in College Station, Texas, where they are being tested for package delivery.
- Residents have expressed concerns about the noise levels, particularly during take-off and landing, and the disruption it causes to their daily lives.
- Amazon is requesting regulatory approval to increase the number of flights per day and expand the delivery area, but residents are petitioning against the company’s expansion plans.
Detailed news
A familiar buzzing was heard outside the tranquil suburban residence of John Case in College Station, Texas, on a recent weekday morning. He promptly identified it as one of Amazon’s Prime Air drones, which was whizzing by on its delivery route to offload small shipments of batteries, vitamins, and dog treats.
In an interview, Case, a semi-retired orthodontist, stated, “It sounds like a giant hive of bees.” “You are aware that it is imminent due to its considerable volume.”
For the past four decades, Case has resided in College Station. The drones are a frequent sight during his and his wife’s routine treks through the neighborhood. Case stated that nurses, police officers, and firefighters who work the nightshift discuss how it disrupts their sleep during the day.
Since the company initiated deliveries testing in 2022, Amazon’s drone program has encountered numerous obstacles, including noise complaints. The ambitious service, which was envisaged by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over a decade ago, has been suspended by a combination of regulatory obstacles, missed deadlines, and cutbacks last year, which coincided with widespread cost-cutting efforts by CEO Andy Jassy.
College Station, which is situated approximately 100 miles northwest of Houston, has served as Prime Air’s primary proving ground as Amazon endeavors to demonstrate its ability to transport packages to residents’ residences via unmanned aircraft in less than an hour. Lockeford, California, located south of Sacramento, was intended to serve as an additional test market; however, Amazon discontinued its operations there in April. The organization is in the process of obtaining regulatory sanction to commence deliveries in Tolleson, Arizona, which is situated to the west of Phoenix.
Amazon is currently in the process of expanding Prime Air to additional regions and scaling it up. However, it is confronting an additional obstacle that may complicate the process. In a July letter to the Federal Aviation Administration, College Station Mayor John Nichols stated that the drones that are currently buzzing in close proximity to the residences of residents in his community, which is the location of Texas A&M University, have become increasingly irritating.
Nichols wrote, “Residents in neighborhoods adjacent to Prime Air’s facility have expressed concern to the City Council regarding drone noise levels, particularly during take-off and landing, as well as in some delivery operations, since the company’s relocation to College Station.”
Following Amazon’s proposal to the FAA to permit the company to increase deliveries to 469 flights per day, from its present level of 200 flights per day, Nichols’ letter was issued. Amazon is requesting the extension of its delivery area to up to 174 square miles surrounding the company’s drone port, in addition to the ability to operate between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., rather than being restricted to daylight hours as it is currently. This is an increase from the current operating range of 44 square miles.
A month prior to Amazon’s request to the FAA, residents petitioned their local legislators to intervene in the company’s expansion plans. Ralph Thomas Moore, whose neighborhood is “less than 500 feet away from the launch pad,” played a recording of a chainsaw at a city council meeting in June to demonstrate the decibel level of the drones.
Moore stated at the meeting that the drones would be able to deliver one parcel at a time, weighting no more than five pounds, if Amazon is granted its request for up to 940 combined takeoffs and landings.
“This is the request that Amazon is making to the FAA for approval,” he stated. “This is an enormous violation of our personal space and has a substantial effect on the entire community.”
Bryan Woods, the city manager of College Station, stated during the meeting that city officials conducted experiments on a Prime Air drone and discovered that its noise levels ranged from 47 to 61 decibels. Chainsaws are typically measured at 125 decibels, while heavy equipment is typically measured at 95 to 110 decibels, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Prime Air is a component of Amazon’s endeavor to identify a more efficient and cost-effective solution for the “last mile,” which refers to the portion of the delivery process that transports the parcel from the warehouse to the customer’s doorstep. There is a possibility that drone delivery could reduce the need for gas-guzzling delivery vans and offset the expense of sustaining a fleet of delivery drivers, according to its advocates. That is, provided that Amazon is able to transform it into a service that is accessible to the general public.
Amazon achieved a significant milestone in May when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized the company to operate its delivery drones over extended distances without the presence of personnel on the ground to monitor each flight. The service’s expansion into new markets was announced with enthusiasm by Amazon, which stated that it “lays the foundation.”
In a statement to CNBC, Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson stated, “We value the College Station community and consider local feedback whenever feasible when formulating operational decisions for Prime Air.” We are proud of the hundreds of consumers to whom we have delivered and the thousands of deliveries we have made.
“Exceptional technology, incorrect location”
Amina Alikhan compared the drones to “a fly that is constantly buzzing by your ear, and you are unable to stop it.”
“It is disrupting our ability to enjoy both our indoor and outdoor spaces,” stated Alikhan, an internal medicine doctor who resides in a neighborhood a few hundred feet from Amazon’s drone airport in College Station with her spouse.
Case stated that his neighbors have expressed dissatisfaction with the drones’ noise, which interferes with their enjoyment of the yard or patio. Occasionally, it is audible within the building. Case stated that he composed a letter to the mayor and municipal council of College Station regarding the issue.
“I believe that nobody truly anticipated the extent of the noise and irritation that would result when the city consented to serve as a test market for Amazon,” Case stated.
According to others, the drones operate at an alarmingly low altitude. According to a resident who is the president of a local homeowners association, Amazon informed the residents of the neighborhood that the drones would operate at a height of 400 feet or higher.
However, the individual, who requested anonymity in order to protect her privacy, stated that drones fly over residential properties at a height of 100 feet or less, which can be unsettling for even those who wish to relax by the pool.
According to data submitted by Amazon to the FAA, the current version of its delivery drone typically operates at an altitude of 160 to 180 feet.
The MK30, a smaller, quieter drone, is anticipated to commence operations in College Station and Phoenix upon the company’s receipt of FAA approval. This announcement was made by Amazon.
Stephenson stated that the MK30 is “engineered to minimize the drone’s perceived noise by nearly 50%.” The FAA also states that it will operate at a higher cruising altitude of 180 to 377 feet above ground level, with the exception of when it is descending to deliver a cargo.
However, a significant number of residents desired that Amazon take the next step and completely withdraw from their neighborhoods. On July 24, Prime Air leaders convened a Zoom meeting with residents of College Station as their concerns intensified.
According to a recording obtained by CNBC, Matt McCardle, Prime Air’s chief of regulatory affairs and strategy, stated during the meeting that the company would not renew its lease in College Station and relocate to a different location by October 2025.
Amazon’s Stephenson verified that the company is “evaluating a range of potential paths forward,” which includes the possibility of an alternative drone site.
Bob Yancy, a member of the College Station City Council, also stated that the company has consented to decrease the number of flights per hour. He intends to suggest that Amazon relocate its drone port to the location of a former Macy’s store, which is now owned by the city and situated in an adjacent retail mall.
Amazon announced in April that it intends to incorporate Prime Air into its same-day delivery network, rather than constructing independent drone facilities. The company’s objective in the Phoenix region is to establish a launchpad that is situated on the same site as an Amazon facility known as SAZ-2. Roosevelt Park is a significant neighborhood located a few hundred feet from the facility.
During the meeting, Yancy expressed his continued satisfaction with the program and his gratitude for the ability to receive toothbrushes, biscuits, and bottles of acetaminophen at his residence within an hour.
He wants Prime Air to remain in College Station. However, in order for it to function effectively, he stated that Amazon will need to either reduce the noise of its drones or relocate them to a remote location from residents.
Yancy stated, “I believe the program’s headline is incorrect: fantastic technology, incorrect location.”
Source : CNBC News
