Amazon asks to pull its Westborough drone delivery plan after local pushback

Amazon has asked to withdraw its application to launch Prime Air drone deliveries from its warehouse in Westborough, Massachusetts, after weeks of local opposition. The company wrote to Town Manager Kristi Williams on Friday, 30 October, asking the Planning Board to approve withdrawing its site plan application for drone launch pads at its Otis Street facility.

The request was made “without prejudice”, which means Amazon could file again later. No report had said by Saturday, 31 October, that the board had acted yet, so the plan is paused at Amazon’s request, not yet formally closed.

State Senator Mike Moore and Representatives Hannah Kane and Kate Donaghue announced the move, saying Amazon had called them to share the news. US Representative Jim McGovern said on 31 October that he was glad Amazon had pulled the application. Amazon said it looks forward to working with town officials on next steps.

The proposal would have turned Amazon’s fulfilment centre at 64 Otis Street into a launch pad for its MK30 drones, with up to 1,000 deliveries a day over time within a 7.5-mile radius. A residents’ survey found 92% opposed, and on 19 October Westborough voters backed a bylaw banning commercial drone launch pads by 510 votes to 13. That bylaw still needs approval from the state attorney general and the state transport department. Massachusetts transport officials had also told Amazon on 22 October that it cannot set up a takeoff and landing area anywhere in the state without a state certificate first, with at least one public hearing before any decision.

Why it matters

Westborough is the first Amazon drone hub in Massachusetts to be dropped after open local opposition. Airspace and flight routes belong to the federal aviation authorities, but the patch of ground a drone takes off from is a local land-use decision — a split now shaping Amazon’s expansion in the United States.

What happens next

The Planning Board still needs to approve the withdrawal. A residents’ appeal over the town’s zoning decision was still listed for a hearing on Monday, 2 November, and the Planning Board’s site-plan hearing had been continued to 10 November. Watch for the board’s decision and for whether Amazon files a revised plan.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://droneauthority.org/news/amazon-withdraws-westborough-drone-delivery-site-plan-application (Drone Authority, 31 Oct 2026)
• https://www.droneranker.com/amazon-drone-delivery-hub-opposition-towns/ (DroneRanker, 31 Oct 2026)