Amazon to fly parcels directly to customers' doors using drones as part of UK trial

Customers in the UK could soon have Amazon parcels flown to their door within an hour of placing an order, as the company is set to trial drone use.

Amazon is one of six organisations chosen by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to trial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drones - those controlled without an operator needing to keep physical sight of them.

Amazon expects to launch its Prime Air service in the UK by the end of the year, delivering small packages to people's doors in under an hour.

It already offers drone deliveries in the US, in Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas.

Other projects given the green light to use BVLOS drones include inspecting offshore wind farms, the National Police Air Service and air traffic control provider Nats.

Flights from Scottish archipelago Orkney and the delivery of emergency medical supplies have also been chosen for the trial.

The CAA said all the schemes will use “advanced technologies” for navigation, control and the detection of other aircraft.

Regulator spokesperson Sophie O'Sullivan said: “These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in integrating drones safely into UK airspace.

“Our goal is to make drone operations beyond visual line of sight a safe and everyday reality, contributing to the modernisation of UK airspace and the incorporation of new technology into our skies.”

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Amazon Prime Air vice president and general manager David Carbon said: “It’s crucial for operators like us to have clear regulatory requirements in order to bring and scale new technologies, such as drone delivery, to customers in the UK.

The news follows an announcement by the e-commerce giant in May that a new next-generation warehouse is to be built in Northampton.

The project will create more than 2,000 new jobs, and is set to feature three floors of robotics where products will be stowed and customer orders picked using advanced technology.

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