Amazon will start delivering packages in the UK by DRONE in under an hour next year as tech giant vows to roll out scheme in Italy and the US
Amazon will start delivering packages in the UK by drone next year.
The technology giant said the service would begin from one of its UK same-day delivery sites, but is keeping the location secret for now.
The rollout is part of an expansion of drone deliveries, which will also see it be introduced in Italy and expanded to a third state in the US, with drone deliveries already operating in California and Texas.
Amazon previously ran a short trial of an earlier version of the Prime Air drone delivery system in Cambridgeshire in 2016.
‘As part of our continued efforts to innovate for customers, we are excited to announce the expansion of Prime Air delivery internationally, for the first time outside the US,’ the company said in a statement.
The technology giant said the service would begin from one of its UK same-day delivery sites, but is keeping the location secret for now
Guests at Amazon’s Delivering the Future explore the MK30
‘We have been delivering packages by drone for almost a year in California and in Texas.
‘We have built a safe, reliable delivery service and have partnered very closely with regulators and communities.
‘We will continue with that collaboration into the future to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and the communities we serve.’
The US tech giant said it had been working with the UK Government and aviation authorities on the introduction of the technology to UK airspace.
The announcement came alongside the unveiling the company’s latest drone for deliveries – the MK30 – which Amazon says can fly twice as far as previous Prime Air models, is quieter, and able to fly in more diverse weather conditions.
Amazon will start delivering packages in the UK by drone next year
Aviation minister Baroness Vere said: ‘Amazon’s announcement today is a fantastic example of Government and industry coming together to achieve our shared vision for commercial drones to be commonplace in the UK by 2030.
‘Not only will this help boost the economy, offering consumers even more choice while helping keep the environment clean with zero emission technology, but it will also build our understanding how to best use the new technology safely and securely.’
Frederic Laugere, head of innovation advisory services at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said: ‘Exploring the options of how drones can be safely and successfully incorporated into more of the UK’s airspace is key.
‘It is vital that projects such as this take place to feed into the overall knowledge and experiences that will soon enable drones to be operating beyond the line of sight of their pilot on a day-to-day basis, while also still allowing safe and equitable use of the air by other users.’
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