(Credit: Amazon)
Amazon has been trialing drone deliveries across California and Texas, and it will now expand its Prime Air service to customers in the UK, Italy, and a third city in the US by the end of 2024.
Amazon didn't specify where in the UK, Italy, and US its drones will deliver packages. It sounds like it's still working with regulators on the details, though the UK's Aviation Minister touted a "shared vision for commercial drones to be commonplace in the UK by 2030" in a statement.
When it does launch, expect packages to be dropped off via the new MK30 drone.
"The new design can fly twice as far as previous Prime Air drone models, which will allow us to deliver to customers who live farther out from our fulfillment networks," it says. "The MK30 is quieter and will be able to fly in more diverse weather conditions—meaning customers can get super speedy deliveries even in situations like light rain, and hotter and colder temperatures."
The MK30 will feature sensors to identify obstacles and avoid them; this is done in real-time so if new objects appear in a previously flown path, the drone will be able to "sense and avoid."
Drones have been delivering packages up to 5 pounds in less than an hour in test regions like Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas. Amazon's delivery drones hold packages inside the drone itself; hence the weight limit.
With the Lockeford and College Station deliveries, drones have been dispatched from dedicated standalone Prime Air Delivery Centers. Going forward, Amazon says it 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."