Amazon makes major change to deliveries for thousands of UK households

Résumé détaillé

Around 8,000 households can now use the service, compared with just 600 when Amazon first launched its UK trial in May. The expansion follows a major safety approval from the…

Thousands of households in the UK will now be able to get their Amazon orders delivered by drone after the online shopping giant announced a major expansion of its delivery service. The company has increased the number of homes eligible for its Prime Air service in Darlington, County Durham, meaning more customers can have everyday items delivered in less than two hours.

Around 8,000 households can now use the service, compared with just 600 when Amazon first launched its UK trial in May. The expansion follows a major safety approval from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has given Amazon permission to fly its drones further and over more populated areas.

Amazon has become the first drone operator in the world to receive a SAIL 4 operating authorisation and flightworthiness validation from the regulator. The expansion means more people in Darlington could see Amazon drones delivering small parcels in their neighbourhoods.

The service allows eligible customers to order a range of everyday products, including beauty items, baby supplies and technology accessories. Orders can arrive in under two hours, with no additional delivery charge for Amazon Prime members.

However, there are some restrictions on who can use the service and what can be delivered. Items must weigh less than 2.2kg and be small enough to fit inside a large shoebox.

Customers must also have a suitable garden or driveway where the drone can safely deliver their parcel.

Homes must be located within a 7.5-mile radius of Amazon's fulfilment centre in Darlington to qualify.

The deliveries are carried out using Amazon's electric MK30 drones, which have been designed to fly safely around obstacles.

The drones use machine-learning technology to detect and avoid things such as people, animals, washing lines and trampolines.

Début de l'article, extrait de Daily Express. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.