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Your next Amazon delivery could look very different as drone trials expand
Amazon says 68% of ordered items meet drone limits as it seeks permission from regulators to extend Prime Air across the town.
Amazon is seeking Civil Aviation Authority approval to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service across all of Darlington, building on a limited trial that began last year.
From the Darlington fulfilment centre, Prime Air Vice President David Carbon oversees a team of 13 managing flights for customers within a 7.5-mile radius, delivering items weighing under 5lb.
Regarding safety, Carbon stated that while a July drone crash occurred, the system "responded as designed" and maintains rigorous safety standards with no single points of failure.
Expected regulatory permission "very soon" would allow Amazon to expand its drone delivery service across Darlington, according to Carbon, with approval potentially arriving within the next six weeks.
Describing Darlington as "not just a model for the UK but a model for Europe," Carbon highlighted the service currently delivers items in 90 minutes on average despite recent weather setbacks.