Amazon deliveries go airborne as test flights begin in Darlington

Amazon’s delivery drones have taken to the sky as the company begins test flights ahead of the launch of it’s UK airborne delivery service later this year.

The US tech giant said “a limited number of flights” had been launched from its base in Darlington in Symmetry Park, but said it had not yet launched a drone delivery service for customers.

Amazon announced last January that Darlington would be its test centre in the UK.

It said when it launches, eligible customers in the town would be able to receive packages weighing less than five pounds (2.3kg) within two hours.

It also said it would use its most modern drone, the MK30, which has sophisticated technology to avoid obstacles and ensure “the safety of people, pets and property”.

The company said: “This marks an exciting next step in bringing drone delivery to the UK, and we continue to work closely with Darlington Council and the Civil Aviation Authority throughout this period.”

David Carbon, vice president of Prime Air, said the devices were designed to operate “quietly and efficiently” and that safety was a “top priority”.

“We look forward to demonstrating how this innovative technology can serve the people of Darlington while maintaining the highest safety standards,” he said.

Amazon said the drones were equipped with technology so they could avoid obstacles such as clothes lines or trampolines – items that might not appear on satellite maps.

“These same cameras continuously monitor the surrounding airspace during flight, determining whether evasive action is needed to avoid other aircraft entering the drone’s flight path,” the firm said.

“The perception technology relies on sophisticated machine learning models trained to recognise various objects, including people, animals, physical barriers, and other airborne vehicles.”