Amazon Plans Drone Deliveries In Nearly 500 U.S. Cities

by News Editor

August 19, 2026

Amazon plans to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026, a sixfold increase from its current footprint. The company says it has already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages by drone this year, with thousands of deliveries made daily.

Prime Air Expands After Years Of Delays

Amazon first unveiled its drone delivery vision in 2013, promising deliveries within 30 minutes. Since then, the program has faced regulatory delays, technical problems and opposition from some communities.

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A major step forward came in 2024, when Amazon received regulatory approval for longer-range drone operations. Prime Air now operates from 11 locations across 10 U.S. metro areas, with more launches planned in cities including Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland and Boise.

Faster Deliveries, Wider Selection

Prime Air drones can carry packages weighing up to 5 pounds and deliver them in as little as 30 minutes. Most orders currently arrive in about an hour.

Amazon says millions of products, including groceries, electronics, cosmetics and medications, are eligible for drone delivery.

The expansion is part of Amazon’s broader push toward faster delivery, as the company competes with other drone operators. Alphabet’s Wing has already surpassed 1 million commercial drone deliveries, while Zipline has completed 2 million deliveries across four continents.

Safety Challenges Remain

Despite the expansion, Prime Air continues to face safety and operational challenges. Two Amazon drones collided with a crane in Arizona last year, while other incidents have involved an internet cable in Texas and a drone crash in the UK.

Amazon says its drones use onboard cameras and sensors to detect obstacles and navigate safely, with no live camera feed monitored by people.

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Cyprus Ranks In EU’s Middle Tier For Minimum Wage After Cost Adjustment

by News Editor

August 20, 2026

Cyprus sits in the middle tier of the European Union’s minimum wage ranking when differences in living costs are taken into account, according to Eurostat.

Based on data from July 1, 2026, Cyprus falls into the group with minimum wages between 1,000 and 1,500 Purchasing Power Standards (PPS). The category also includes Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary and Czechia.

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After adjusting for purchasing power, Cyprus drops four positions compared with its nominal ranking.

Purchasing Power Gives A Different Picture

PPS adjusts for price differences between countries, providing a better indication of how much people can actually buy with their income.

The adjustment significantly narrows the gap between EU minimum wages. While Luxembourg has the highest nominal minimum wage, Germany ranks first when wages are measured in PPS.

Cyprus Hit By Higher Inflation

Differences in inflation have also affected purchasing power. Euro-area inflation reached 3.2% between January and July, while Malta recorded 8.2%, Cyprus 5.4% and the Netherlands 4.7%.

Countries with minimum wages of at least 1,500 PPS form the top group. This includes Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France, Slovenia, Spain and Poland.

At the other end, Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia remain below 1,000 PPS.

Nominal And Purchasing Power Rankings Differ

In nominal euro terms, Luxembourg’s minimum wage was 4.5 times higher than Bulgaria’s on July 1. Once purchasing power is considered, the gap between the highest and lowest levels falls to 2.3 times.

Romania recorded one of the largest improvements, moving from 20th place in the nominal ranking to 12th in PPS terms. Estonia saw the biggest decline, falling from 16th to 26th place. Cyprus, Latvia and Czechia each dropped four positions.

Minimum Wages Rose In Several Countries

Between January and July 2026, eight of the 29 countries covered by Eurostat recorded increases in their minimum wages in local currency.

Romania and Estonia posted the largest increases at 6.8%, followed by Belgium at 5.8%, Greece at 4.5%, Luxembourg at 2.5%, France at 2.4% and the Netherlands at 1.9%.

Eurostat notes that minimum wages are generally reported as monthly gross earnings, before income tax and employee social security contributions.

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