Amazon will start drone delivery in the UK and Italy in 2024. Selected customers can have items weighing up to approximately 2 kilograms delivered to their gardens by a drone.
As of 2023, Amazon offers airdrop drone deliveries in two states in the United States for goods weighing up to 2.2 kilograms. For the European expansion, Amazon is closely collaborating with European and national authorities to adhere to regulations. The company will soon reveal the first trial areas where drone delivery will be available for customers.
For the drone experiment, selected customers will be presented the option during the ordering process; customers can opt for drone delivery if it is available in their area. After completing the order, the drone will fly to the customer’s garden and, deliver the package, then return.
David Carbon, Vice President of Amazon Prime Air, states: “There is a high demand for this technology. Customers can choose from thousands of items weighing 2.2 kilograms or less, ranging from dish soap and toothbrushes to beauty products and batteries, as long as the ordered products fit in a shoebox-sized package.”
Customers interested in drone delivery must be approved first. The drone requires ample open space to deliver a package from a height of about 3.6 meters. In the United States, a customer places a marker with a QR code on the lawn to guide the drone to the delivery spot. In the United Kingdom, Amazon plans to use markerless delivery, with drones identifying delivery locations using GPS.
Recently, the European Drone Strategy 2.0 was adopted by the EU Commission and sets out a vision for the further development of the European drone market.
This legislation/policy recommendation paper builds on the EU's safety framework for operating and setting the technical requirements of drones, which is the world's most advanced. The new Strategy outlines how Europe can pursue large-scale commercial drone operations while offering new opportunities in the sector.
Remember that the EU implemented the ‘U-space' in January 2023, a European system unique worldwide to manage drone traffic safely, which will lay the ground for increased operations.
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