Amazon’s drone package-delivery service testing in the UK has become a spectacle, but will customers actually use it?

Amazon launched its Prime Air delivery service in the UK, becoming the first retailer to use drones for package delivery in the country.

For now, the company provides the service in Darlington, County Durham, England.

Prime Air can deliver packages weighing less than 5lb (2.2kg) within a 7.5-mile (12km) radius of Amazon’s fulfillment center, in less than 2 hours.

The drone can deliver items such as beauty products and essentials, as well as cables and batteries.

Amazon uses the MK30 drone, which, according to the company, operates “safely and autonomously using sophisticated, industry-leading detect-and-avoid technology, ensuring the safety of people, pets, and property.”

Parcels delivered within 2 hours

The company has chosen Darlington for its suitability as a drone test site, with residential areas, major roads, an airport, and an Amazon hub nearby.

Rob Shield, a farmer based in Darlington, tested the service by ordering various items, such as chocolate, pens, and paper.

“We'd have people come just to see it,” he told the BBC, sharing that the delivery would come in a shoebox-like parcel that was dropped from 12ft (3.6m) height into his garden.

While the farmer found it useful to have things delivered straight from the sky, other customers from Darlington may need more convincing to use this delivery option daily.

Some of them said they would much rather have their parcel delivered to them than fetch it.

Using a drone system would mean packages are delivered to customers faster, said David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air.

While Amazon drones in the UK deliver parcels within 2 hours, the company’s VP says its average delivery time in the US is 36 minutes.

Where else does Amazon Prime Air deliver?

Drone delivery can’t quite be considered a novelty in the UK, as the very first Amazon Prime Air system testing took place in Cambridge, England, in 2016.

Later trials were then conducted in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas, in 2022.

Amazon Prime Air is currently available in five US states: Texas, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, and Kansas.

While the company’s drones have already made roughly 16,000 flights, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

It’s been reported that at the beginning of this year, an Amazon Prime Air drone crashed into an apartment building in Texas.

After the collision, the drone fell to the ground and was later picked up by Amazon workers.

No one was hurt in the accident, and the company also ensured minor repairs to the building after the collision, Fox Business reported.

FAQ about Amazon’s drone delivery

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