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Drones delivering our parcels have been part of our fictional stories for the better part of a decade. Now, despite facing challenges in the United States, Amazon has announced the expansion of its Prime Air drone delivery program to Italy and the United Kingdom, starting in late 2024.
According to a report, Amazon has collaborated with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and Italy’s National Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the safe and efficient expansion of its drone delivery service. However, it is important to note that these autonomous aerial vehicles can carry packages weighing up to five pounds.
When talking about the expansion, Baroness Vere, the UK’s Aviation Minister, emphasized the potential economic and environmental benefits of this initiative, stating, “It will also build our understanding of how to best use the new technology safely and securely.”
However, to make these deliveries possible, the company is introducing a new MK30 drone design, which is capable of covering twice the distance of its predecessors, thus reaching customers in faraway locations. Additionally, the new MK30 drone is not only quieter but can also operate in various weather conditions, including light rain and different temperatures. Moreover, the drone comes equipped with “sense and avoid” technology, preventing collisions with pets, people, and property.
Amazon’s journey with drone deliveries
Originally started in 2016, Amazon’s journey with drone deliveries has been rocky, to say the least. This is because the company faced a slew of problems after the launch, including operational limitations due to stringent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restrictions in the United States, that require the company to accumulate hundreds of hours of incident-free flights to receive extended approval. As a result, the service currently only operates in two locations, namely College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California, from 8 AM to 3:30 PM daily.
“We’ve also taken great care to ensure that our drones’ design philosophy and demonstrated levels of safety are setting a higher bar for safety across the commercial drone delivery industry, working closely with regulators to design to the highest standard set within those regulations,” reads Amazon’s blog post.