Amazon has begun the process of introducing same-day drone deliveries from its warehouse in Darlington, County Durham, in what could be a major milestone for its Prime Air service in the UK.
The technology giant is holding a public meeting in the area this week to seek permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate drones in the airspace around its facility on the edge of the town.
Under the proposed plan, Amazon will hire a local team to oversee drone take-off and landing on the site. Once the necessary approvals are in place, customers living within 7.5 miles of the warehouse, excluding zones deemed unsuitable for drone flights, will be able to opt for the service. Before using Prime Air, Amazon representatives will check each property to ensure there is a suitable area for drone drops, and customers will then place a lightweight landing pad in their garden which the drone can identify from above.
The company already gained CAA approval in August 2023 for beyond-line-of-sight tests at an undisclosed UK trial site. Prime Air deliveries have also operated in parts of the United States—specifically Texas and Arizona—and in Italy, although services were recently paused after test crashes in Oregon prompted a software update. Although Amazon initially aimed to launch drone deliveries in the UK and Italy before the end of 2024, that timetable has slipped, leaving the precise launch date for Darlington’s service unclear.
Amazon’s history with drone deliveries dates back to a successful pilot near Cambridge in 2016, followed by a scaling back of its UK drone programme in 2021. More recent drone trials in Italy’s San Salvo, as well as tests in Lockeford (California) and Oregon, have also encountered setbacks, with two drones crashing in rain conditions in Oregon. According to Amazon, those accidents were not the main reason for the temporary halt, and the firm is rolling out a software update to address the issue.
Meanwhile, the UK as a whole is stepping up its efforts to support commercial drone use. Royal Mail has tested delivering post by drone to remote communities, including in the Shetland Islands, and has extended a similar programme in Orkney until at least February 2026. BT has invested £5 million in a consortium aiming to establish a 165-mile “drone superhighway” across southern and central England, part of wider plans for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights under new CAA regulations.
Although Amazon has not announced a specific timeline for operations in Darlington, the company says this represents an “exciting step forward.” Securing regulatory approval and completing essential infrastructure are the final hurdles, and Amazon stresses it will continue working closely with local residents and the CAA before fully rolling out its Prime Air service in the region.
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Amazon looks to launch prime air drone deliveries in North-East England
