Amazon delivered its first order via drone

“The Jetsons,” here we come.

Amazon announced Wednesday that its first customer delivery using a drone was a success. Amazon is calling the service Prime Air, the same name in use on the company’s air cargo jets.

It happened on December 7, when Richard B. of Cambridgeshire, England, placed an order and received his goods just 13 minutes later. The speedy delivery was made possible by the fact that the customer lives very close to one of Amazon’s fulfillment centers. And Amazon is actually promising drone deliveries within 30 minutes — an undertaking that suggests drone deliveries will likely be limited, at least in the beginning, to major population centers where Amazon will have plenty of customers within range of its fulfillment centers.

Amazon has published three videos explaining the drone delivery service on its Prime Air landing page. I’ll embed the one detailing Richard B.’s initial order below.

Drone deliveries won’t only be limited by distance, but also by weight. Amazon says Prime Air packages will max out at five pounds in weight. The company is testing several different vehicle designs at development centers in the UK, US, Austria and Israel.

While it may look like science fiction, Amazon confidently says that one day “seeing Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road.”

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Matt McGee

Matt McGee is the Editor-In-Chief of Marketing Land and Search Engine Land. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. After leaving traditional media in the mid-1990s, he began developing and marketing websites and continued to provide consulting services for more than 15 years. His SEO and social media clients ranged from mom-and-pop small businesses to one of the Top 5 online retailers. Matt is a longtime speaker at marketing events around the U.S., including keynote and panelist roles. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee. You can read Matt’s disclosures on his personal blog. You can reach Matt via email using our Contact page.