Online retailer Amazon is hoping to launch a drone delivery service in the UK.
The proposed Prime Air fleet will aim to deliver packages to homes in less than an hour from its fulfilment centre in the north-east England town of Darlington, County Durham, more than 400km from London.
The US technology company said it was now lodging planning applications with the local authority and was seeking clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority regulator for the service.
Prime Air operates from two places in the US so far and delivers packages in a fleet of Amazon-designed, built and operated drones.
Last month in central Italy, the company's drones flew a first test flight from the town of San Salvo in the Abruzzo region.
The drones can make drops to small back gardens and detect obstacles such as clothes lines and trampolines.
Amazon said it was “ready and excited” to make drone delivery a reality for UK customers.
Amazon said the service will be optional in its catchment area, and eligible customers will be allowed to sign up through their Amazon account.
The company said it did not have a time frame on when the service could be launched but it will be talking to the community to address any concerns.
Amazon has been developing drone delivery systems since 2013 and made the first autonomous Prime Air delivery in Cambridgeshire in 2016 during a trial.
The new service will be offered from its 94-acre site, which opened during the coronavirus pandemic, which has more than 11km of conveyor belts.
Amazon's drone goal is to deliver 500 million packages globally by the end of the decade and last year announced it will also be expanding drone deliveries to more US cities in 2025.
