Image Credit: Amazon
Amazon has announced it will be delivering parcels by drone in under an hour to select UK cities by the end of 2024.
Amazon Prime Air has already been operating in US cities for close to a year.
The new locations across the UK, Italy and an additional US city will be announced in the coming months. Consumers have the option to choose from thousands of products that weigh under five pounds.
David Carbon, Vice President of Amazon’s Prime Air, told Zag Daily: “As part of our continued efforts to innovate for customers, we are excited to announce the expansion of Prime Air delivery internationally, for the first time outside the U.S. into the UK and Italy.
“We have been delivering packages by drone for almost a year, and have built a safe, reliable delivery service, partnering very closely with regulators and communities. We will continue with that collaboration into the future to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and the communities we serve.”
The deliveries will come by the new MK30 drone. This model’s design has been updated to double the distance compared to previous Prime Air drone models. The expanded range enables the delivery giant to reach customers residing in more remote areas.
The MK30 operates quietly and can handle a wider range of weather conditions to provide a more reliable service for customers.
Working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority, the autonomous drones are fitted with sensors to detect any obstacles. Amazon assures the delivery method is safe and scalable. The initial cities where they have been rolled out are lightly populated suburban areas. However, UK Aviation Minister Baroness Vere, expects commercial drones will be commonplace in the UK by 2030.
David Carbon said they have a goal of reaching 500 million global drone deliveries per year by the end of the decade.
