Amazon are among a group of organisations who have been selected for a trial testing drones for business use in the UK.
The trial will focus on gathering data on how the drones detect and avoid other aircraft.
“Our goal is to make drone operations beyond visual line of sight a safe and everyday reality, contributing to the modernisation of UK airspace and the incorporation of new technology into our skies,” said Sophie O’Sullivan, director of future of flight at the UK CCA.
The e-commerce giant Amazon is taking part in trial to test its own service, Prime Air, in the UK. This project was planned out by founder Jeff Bezos more than a decade ago. The company currently does not have permission to operate their drones in the UK,
Amazon stated last year that their customers in UK and Italy would have the option of drone delivery from late 2024.
The Prime Air service has already been launched in the US for packages weighing up to five pounds. But the expansion of the program has faced regulatory hurdles, delays and the departure of some executives.
“It’s crucial for operators like us to have clear regulatory requirements in order to bring and scale new technologies, such as drone delivery, to customers in the UK,” said David Carbon, VP and general manager of Amazon Prime Air. “We appreciate the CAA’s effort to partner with us to help bring clarity to the regulations that support commercial drone delivery.”
The Civil Aviation Authority (CCA) announced that it will integrate drones that fly beyond the visual line of sight of their operators into UK airspace. This means that operators will not have to maintain sight of the drones.
The other organisations in the trail also feature those working on services for offshore wind farms, North Sea inspections, and delivering emergency medical supplies.