From the end of 2024, Amazon customers in Italy, the UK, and an additional U.S. city will be able to choose drone delivery, the e-commerce giant has announced.
In a blog post, the company said it will expand its Prime Air drone delivery system with specific cities in the U.S. and internationally to be named in the coming months.
In addition to the new delivery sites, Prime Air also unveiled its new MK30 drone design, which is quieter, smaller, and lighter, than previous models.Drone delivery will no longer only take place out of stand-alone Prime Air Delivery Centres, but instead, it will also be deployed from Same-Day Delivery sites,
“Moving forward, we will integrate drones into the Amazon delivery network, so customers will have traditional delivery vans, Flex delivery vehicles, and Prime Air drones leaving from the same building,” the firm said.
In Italy and the UK, Amazon plans to integrate drone delivery into some of its fulfillment centers, starting with one site in each location before expanding over time. In the U.S., the drones will operate out of some Same-Day Delivery stations which are smaller versions of the companies’ fulfillment centres.
In Amazon’s existing drone delivery operations in the U.S., the firm has been using drones to deliver packages weighing up to five pounds in one hour or less, for almost a year.
Speaking on the announcement, UK Aviation Minister, Baroness Vere said: “Amazon’s announcement today is a fantastic example of Government and industry coming together to achieve our shared vision for commercial drones to be commonplace in the UK by 2030.
“Not only will this help boost the economy, offering consumers even more choice while helping keep the environment clean with zero emission technology, but it will also build our understanding how to best use the new technology safely and securely.
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Image source: Amazon
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