Amazon partners with UK govt for drone delivery

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jul 26, 2016

Amazon has partnered with the UK government to explore using drones for delivery of its products through the future delivery system of Prime Air.

“The UK is a leader in enabling drone innovation – we’ve been investing in Prime Air research and development here for quite some time,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s Vice President of Global Innovation Policy and Communications.

Prime Air will guaranty packages weighing less than 5 pounds are delivered in 30 minutes.

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Amazon is specifically working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the government agency that has granted permission to explore 3 types of drone use. The 3 test flights include drones beyond the line of sight in rural and suburban areas, sensor tests to avoid obstacles, and when one person manages multiple drones.

Misener explained, “This announcement strengthens our partnership with the UK and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the UK and elsewhere around the world.”

He continued, “Using small drones for the delivery of parcels will improve customer experience, create new jobs in a rapidly growing industry, and pioneer new sustainable delivery methods to meet future demand."

With safety being a primary concern, it is exciting that Amazon and the UK have found this partnership to drive technology forward. The plan is to use the test results to drive policy for drone use going forward.

“We want to enable the innovation that arises from the development of drone technology by safely integrating drones into the overall aviation system,” said Tim Johnson, CAA Policy Director.

Johnson forecasted, “These tests by Amazon will help inform our policy and future approach.”