Amazon delivery drones get green light for UK trials

News

Online retail giant Amazon will begin testing its delivery drones in the UK, after receiving permission from a cross-government team that includes the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The agreement gives Amazon the go-ahead to trial three specific components: beyond line-of-sight operations in rural and suburban areas, sensor performance for obstacle identification and avoidance, and flights where one operator oversees multiple autonomous drones. All three elements will be key to demonstrate the viability of Amazon’s Prime Air delivery service, first proposed back in 2013.

“The UK is a leader in enabling drone innovation – we’ve been investing in Prime Air research and development here for quite some time,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president of Global Innovation Policy and Communications.

“This announcement strengthens our partnership with the UK and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the UK and elsewhere around the world.”

Amazon’s UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) will weigh around 25kg and be capable of delivering packages weighing roughly 2kg. Current plans are for the drones to fly in separate airspace to manned aircraft, operating under 400 feet over distances of approximately 10 miles.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address