• A cross-government team supported by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given Amazon permission to explore drone delivery
  • Amazon: “Using small drones will improve customer experience and create new jobs”
  • The etail giant will explore flights where one person operates multiple highly automated drones

Amazon is edging closer to its ambition of making deliveries by drone after reaching an agreement with the UK government.

The etail giant has been granted permission by the government to explore and test the logisitcs of making deliveries across the country using the small unmanned aerial vehicles. 

A cross-government team supported by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is allowing Amazon to explore three key innovations.

These include testing to make sure the drones can identify and avoid obstacles and flights where one person operates multiple drones.

Amazon vice-president of global innovation policy and communications Paul Misener said: “This announcement…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.”

Amazon said the CAA will be fully involved in the work, which will also help identify what operating rules and safety regulations are needed to “help move the drone industry forward”.

Earlier this week, Amazon unveiled plans to start fulfilling deliveries across the UK through part-time freelance drivers, in a move similar to taxi service Uber.

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