Amazon has started drone flights out of its Darlington fulfilment centre, with the city set to become the first location in the UK to launch Prime Air later this year.
The Prime Air service will use Amazon’s newest MK30 drone, which uses detect-and-avoid technology, which Amazon said will ensure the safety of people, pets, and property.
Prime Air’s drone delivery system is designed to deliver packages weighing up to five pounds to customers in less than two hours.
When the service launches, eligible Prime customers based in the area will be able to opt-in to drone delivery and choose from thousands of products.
Prime Air is at an early stage in the UK, with flights operating out of Amazon’s Darlington fulfilment centre. Deliveries are not yet being made, but the service is expected to officially launch in 2026.
The MK30 is as quiet as an average van delivery. Amazon said that keeping noise and perceived volume to a minimum was a “critical priority” for the drone development team, which experimented with various propeller designs to meet its goals.
Prime Air systems are built with multiple safety features and the MK30 has received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval to conduct operations.
As the MK30 descends for delivery, its onboard systems identify and steer clear of obstacles such as clotheslines or trampolines—items that might not appear in satellite maps.
These same cameras continuously monitor the surrounding airspace during flight, determining whether evasive action is needed to avoid other aircraft entering the drone’s flight path.
The perception technology relies on machine learning models trained to recognise various objects, including people, animals, physical barriers, and other airborne vehicles.
The development team built an independent monitoring computer that oversees the main flight control system.
When the monitoring system identifies irregularities during flight, it can instantly switch control to a secondary controller whilst initiating an automated return-to-base procedure.
David Carbon, Prime Air vice president said: “Starting flights in Darlington marks an important milestone in bringing drone delivery to the UK.
“Safety is our top priority and we have worked closely with Darlington Council and the Civil Aviation Authority.
“Our MK30 drones are designed to operate quietly and efficiently.
“We look forward to demonstrating how this innovative technology can serve the people of Darlington while maintaining the highest safety standards.”
