Amazon has introduced its Prime Air drone delivery service to the Tampa Bay area, operating out of the company’s TPA1 fulfillment center in Ruskin — marking the program’s first Florida location.

Eligible customers within an eight-mile radius of the Ruskin facility can receive orders within 30 minutes to an hour of placing them. The service is fully autonomous from takeoff to landing, with onboard systems trained to detect people, pets, and vehicles, causing the drone to abort and return if an obstacle is spotted at the drop-off site.

The drones can carry packages roughly the size of a large shoebox and weighing under five pounds. Popular items include over-the-counter medications, baby food, cleaning supplies, and phone chargers. Drone delivery is only available during daylight hours and favorable weather conditions.

Customers select the drone delivery option at checkout and receive their order within about an hour. Amazon Prime members in Tucson, Arizona — where the service is already fully operational — pay a $4.99 fee for the option.

The program is expected to reach more than 100,000 eligible customers in the Tampa Bay area and is projected to add 30 to 40 new jobs at the Ruskin site. Amazon has said the drones are not intended to replace delivery drivers, but to speed up certain orders. The company also plans to expand Prime Air to Detroit and several Texas cities.

Drone delivery competition in the region is also growing. Walmart has separately filed plans with Hillsborough County to roll out drone delivery at up to seven Tampa-area stores, partnering with Alphabet-owned Wing.

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