Amazon and UK government team up for UK drone trials
Amazon has today (26 July) announced a partnership with the UK Government to “explore the steps needed to make the delivery of parcels by small drones a reality”. The agreement will allow Amazon to trial new drone delivery methods in the UK.
A cross-Government team supported by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has provided Amazon with permissions to explore three key innovations: beyond line of sight operations in rural and suburban areas, testing sensor performance to make sure the drones can identify and avoid obstacles, and flights where one person operates multiple highly-automated drones.
Being able to test beyond the line of sight is important. Last month the US FAA produced its first rules for commercial drones in the US, and it specificed that drones must operate in line of sight. This would obviously restrict their range and usage.
“The UK is a leader in enabling drone innovation – we’ve been investing in Prime Air research and development here for quite some time,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s Vice President of Global Innovation Policy and Communications. “This announcement strengthens our partnership with the UK and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the UK and elsewhere around the world.”
Amazon and the UK government will be looking to see how drones can be used safely and reliably in the logistics industry, and to use the tests to pave the way for the operating rules and safety regulations that will be needed to help move the drone industry forward.
“Using small drones for the delivery of parcels will improve customer experience, create new jobs in a rapidly growing industry, and pioneer new sustainable delivery methods to meet future demand,” said Misener. “The UK is charting a path forward for drone technology that will benefit consumers, industry and society.”
As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the CAA will be involved in the work to explore the potential for safe use of drones beyond line of sight. The outcomes of these tests will help inform the development of future policy and regulation in this area.
“We want to enable the innovation that arises from the development of drone technology by safely integrating drones into the overall aviation system,” said Tim Johnson, CAA Policy Director. “These tests by Amazon will help inform our policy and future approach.”
The UK media has been ablaze with drone stories this morning – and the Amazon Prime Air aim of getting parcels to customers in “30 minutes or less”. Commentators have been raising the same sorts of concerns about privacy and safety that we have heard when drone deliveries have been debated in , for example, Singapore or the US. There has even been ominous speculation about skies being “darkened” by squadrons of delivery drones. The likelihood is that drone deliveries will become a reality – meeting Amazon’s aim – but they will part of the mix, and just one of a range of last-mile delivery options.
