Amazon cleared for take-off as delivery drones to be tested in the UK
The use of Amazon delivery drones in the UK will be tested by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in its latest move to modernise UK airspace.
The CAA will test machines which fly out of the human controller’s line of sight, a move which is likely to get the ball rolling on drone-delivered packages in the UK.
It will test “everyday-life” drones from six projects including the inspection of offshore windfarms, air traffic control, policing and delivering emergency medical supplies.
The trials will “gather key safety data” such as how drones detect and avoid other aircraft and the electronic signals they can send to be able to be visible to other airspace users and air traffic control, the CAA said.
“These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in integrating drones safely into UK airspace. By supporting projects ranging from consumer deliveries to critical infrastructure inspections, we are gathering essential data to shape future policies and regulations,” Sophie O’Sullivan, the director of future of flight at the CAA said.
“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,” O’Sullivan added.
Amazon already operates drones in the US, in Phoenix, Arizona, which became the third US city to receive drones this year as the company looks to boost same-day deliveries via technology.
Last year, Amazon said it planned to start drone delivery in the UK in late 2024 as it looked to expand its delivery service in a host of European countries – including Italy and the UK – starting with one site at each location.