Amazon Drone Deliveries Set for Major UK Expansion After Darlington Trial
Amazon says it is “very soon” expecting permission to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service across the whole of Darlington.
Amazon is on the brink of securing permission to unleash its drone delivery service across the whole of Darlington.
The US tech giant is waiting for approval from the Civil Aviation Authority after launching a limited Prime Air service in the County Durham town earlier this year.
Amazon began flights in February, with eligible customers living within a 7.5-mile radius of its site able to have certain packages dropped into their gardens, yards or driveways.
Now, after more than 500 flights and deliveries, the company says it expects approval to expand across the whole town “very soon”.
And Amazon’s ambitions do not stop there – it ultimately wants its futuristic delivery service to cover the entire UK.
David Carbon, vice-president of Prime Air, said speed was one of the biggest attractions, revealing the company’s best Darlington delivery time so far is just 39 minutes.
Eligible shoppers can currently receive orders within two hours, provided the package weighs less than 5lb and is small enough to fit inside a large shoebox.
Amazon estimates around 68% of the items people order are suitable for drone delivery under those restrictions.
Customers are shown a satellite image of their property at checkout, with Amazon’s mapping and AI systems identifying possible “delivery zones”.
The shopper selects a drop-off area and is asked to make sure it is clear before the drone arrives.
The service is currently included with Amazon Prime at no extra delivery charge in the UK, although that could change as the scheme expands.
But the futuristic experiment has not been completely free of drama.
An Amazon drone crashed into a Darlington garden in July, prompting an investigation. No-one was injured, with the company saying an object protruding above the roof of a moving vehicle had inadvertently struck the drone.
Amazon insists its MK30 aircraft are built with multiple safety systems and are designed to remain under control if something goes wrong.
Bad weather can also ground the fleet, with strong winds already preventing a planned demonstration.
Despite the setbacks, Amazon says customer reaction has been “awesome” – particularly from shoppers ordering everyday essentials such as baby formula, healthcare products and headphones.
The message from Amazon is clear: faster deliveries could soon be taking to the skies.