Amazon started the process of providing drone delivery on the same day of its warehouse in Darlington, Durham County, while it could be a major milestone for its initial air service in the UK.
The technology giant holds a general meeting in the region this week to obtain permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate drones in the airspace around its facility on the edge of the city.
Under the proposed plan, Amazon will rent a local team to oversee the take -off of drones and land on the site. Once the necessary approvals are placed, customers who live 7.5 miles from the warehouse, with the exception of areas that are not suitable for drone flights, will be able to choose the service. Before using Prime Air, Amazon representatives will examine each property to ensure that there is an area suitable for drones, and customers will then place a light drop pillow in their garden that the drone can recognize from the top.
The company has already obtained CAA approval in August 2023 for tests that exceed the vision line in a pilot site that the United Kingdom did not disclose. The main air delivery operations also worked in parts of the United States – specifically Texas and Arizona – and in Italy, although the services were recently stopped after tests in Oregon had shattered as a update of the programs. Although Amazon was initially aimed at launching drones in the United Kingdom and Italy before the end of 2024, this schedule had slipped, leaving the exact date of the Darlington service.
Amazon’s History with Drone Devisions dates back to a successful pilot near Cambridge in 2016, followed by reducing her program for drone in the UK in 2021. More than one drone experiences in San Sulfo in Italy, as well as tests in Luckford (California (California Oregon also faced relapses, as drones were disrupted in rain conditions in Oregon. According to Amazon, these incidents were not the main reason for the interim stop, and the company offers an update to the program to address the problem.
Meanwhile, the UK as a whole is intensifying its efforts to support the use of commercial aircraft. Royal Mail tested a post by Drone to remote societies, including in the Steled Islands, and has extended a similar program in ORKNEY until February 2026 at least. BT has invested 5 million pounds in a union aimed at establishing 165 miles “Highway drone” across the south and central England, which is part of the broader plans for the optical visual line (BVLOs) under the new CAA regulations.
Although Amazon has not announced a specific schedule for operations in Darlington, the company says this represents a “exciting step forward.” Securing regulatory approval and completing the basic infrastructure are the final obstacles, and Amazon confirms that it will continue to work closely with the local population and CAA before offering the main air service in the entire region.