Overview
- Amazon Prime Air, which made its first UK customer drop on Thursday, has started a limited trial in Darlington using small autonomous drones.
- Eligible orders must weigh under 2.2kg, fall within roughly 7.5 miles of the local warehouse, and land in a customer’s garden where the drone releases the box from about 12 feet.
- Amazon’s MK30 drone uses onboard cameras, sensors, and GPS to avoid obstacles and pick a safe release spot, with output capped at up to 10 flights an hour or about 100 weekday drops.
- The Civil Aviation Authority has approved the Darlington trial through the end of the year, and temporary protected airspace is in place until mid‑June to allow beyond‑line‑of‑sight operations.
- Past US mishaps, including a February crash into a Dallas apartment building, have sharpened scrutiny of safety, noise, and weather limits as Amazon eyes expansion and argues the service can be commercially viable.