Amazon Prime Air launches in the UK

Amazon has officially launched its Prima Air service in the United Kingdom. From its fulfillment center near Darlington, England, the company can now deliver parcels by drone. Customers living within a 12-kilometer radius can now have certain items delivered with this shipping method.

This was announced in a blog post on Amazon News at the beginning of this month. According to the ecommerce giant, it is the first time that its drone delivery service, Prime Air, is available to customers outside of the United States.

Earlier tests in Europe

However, European pilots for this service were already announced in 2023. It took a while until aviation regulators allowed the use of drones within test countries. A year later, Amazon was testing drone deliveries in the United Kingdom and Italy.

Only for small items

It seems that now, the pilots are over and that the service has officially launched. In January, Amazon unveiled the location of its first Prime Air location: its fulfillment center in Darlington. Customers living in a 12-kilometer radius of this location can now use this delivery system.

Drone delivery is only an option for items that fit in a shoebox and that weigh 2.2 kg or less

To use the service, customers must have a garden, yard or driveway. Drone delivery is only an option for items that weigh 2.2 kilograms or less, and that fit into a large shoebox. According to Amazon, millions of items are now eligible. Customers can select the delivery option during checkout.

Fees might be added later

Deliveries are made within 60 minutes or less after the order is placed. For now, the service is part of the Amazon Prime membership. Customers do not need to pay an additional fee. However, when the service is extended to broader areas, the online marketplace might add delivery fees that are comparable to other premium speed services.

Drones fly at speeds up to around 112 kilometers per hour. They are equipped with cameras and sensors, which supposedly help the drone to steer clear of obstacles. No information was provided on how Amazon will make sure that these cameras do not breach European privacy rulings, like the Data Protection Directive.