Amazon has confirmed that around 8,000 households in the Darlington area can now receive Prime Air drone deliveries in under an hour, following the extension of its delivery service. The move follows a pilot launched earlier this year, during which the company delivered by drone to around 600 customers.
Prime Air expands after CAA authorisation
From Tuesday, November 10, around 8,000 households in the Darlington area will be able to receive Prime Air deliveries after Amazon said it had secured the necessary authorisation and validation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The company has obtained a Sail 4 (Specific Assurance and Integrity Level 4) operating authorisation and flightworthiness validation from the CAA, which allows drones to fly further and across urban areas and lays the foundation for future expansion across the UK.
Service details and safety features
The Prime Air service allows customers to order a range of everyday items from the marketplace and have them delivered to their door in under an hour. It is part of the Amazon Prime membership, with no additional delivery fee, and customers can see which items are eligible as they shop and at the checkout. As part of the limited launch in Darlington, Prime Air is available to customers with a garden, yard or driveway for items that weigh less than 5lb and fit into a large shoebox.
Prime Air’s fully electric drone, the MK30, has been built using machine-learning models to continuously monitor surroundings throughout each flight, recognising other aircraft, people, animals and physical obstacles. As it descends to deliver packages, the in-built systems identify and steer clear of hazards such as clotheslines and trampolines that would not appear on a satellite map. The drones are also designed to be quieter than a typical delivery, according to Amazon.
World-first safety approval
Theunis Scheepers, Amazon’s director for Prime Air in Europe, said it was the "world’s first Sail 4 approval from the UK CAA, a standard that sets a new benchmark for safety in drone aviation". He said: "From day one we worked backwards from the most demanding standards, and earning this took years of disciplined engineering and an unwavering commitment to safety. This is the foundation for the future of delivery, and for customers it means getting the things they need quickly, safely and reliably. This is just the beginning for Prime Air in the UK."
