Global technology giant Amazon has chosen Darlington as the
location for its first UK drone deliveries in a major
international coup for the region.
Amazon has today confirmed that its Darlington fulfilment centre
will host the maiden UK flights of Prime Air – its drone-based
delivery service.
Prime Air will see autonomous drones carry out same-day 30-minute
deliveries from warehouse to customers' homes across the area.
The project – one of just a handful globally - has been secured
following extensive and detailed work between Amazon, Tees Valley
Mayor Ben Houchen and Teesside International Airport over 18
months.
Planning permission and authorisation from the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) for the lightweight delivery service will now be
sought ahead of the start of operations.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “I am delighted that Teesside
will become home to Amazon's first UK drone delivery service.
“In Teesside, we do things differently. We say yes when others
say it's too difficult. We are positive, ambitious, and we
deliver.
“We are grabbing the opportunities and the optimism of the tech
revolution – so it's no surprise that Amazon has chosen
Darlington as the location to launch Prime Air in the UK.
"We have worked tirelessly with Amazon to bring this UK first to
Teesside which will support high-quality jobs, deliver vital
multi-million-pound investment in our local economy and drive
growth across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
“The world is moving at pace - and if we don't keep up, we will
be left behind. If you're not first, you're last.”
Amazon announced its intention to bring its drone service to the
UK in 2023, with Tees Valley leading the bids to be chosen as the
location.
Teesside International Airport has played a vital role in
supporting the roll out of the drone service through advice and
guidance on local air operations from senior management and the
air traffic control team.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We are ready and excited to make
drone delivery a reality for our UK customers. We have built safe
and reliable drone delivery services elsewhere in the world in
close partnership with regulators and the communities we serve,
and we are working to do the same in the UK.
“We are announcing that Prime Air is taking steps to start
planning for initial flights from our fulfilment centre, in
Darlington.
“While there is still much work to do, this is an exciting step
forward. A planning application will be lodged with the local
authority which will seek permission to build our flight
operations facilities at the site, along with applying for
authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to fly a
drone in the airspace.
“Once those agreements are in place, we will be able to begin
hiring team members to launch drone delivery.
“We'll continue to work closely with the CAA as they develop the
regulatory framework to make commercial drone delivery a reality
in the UK. In the meantime, we will also engage with the
Darlington community to answer questions and collect feedback as
we seek to offer this new option for delivery.
“You can find out more about our plans for drone delivery by
visiting an event at the Central Hall, in the Dolphin Centre, on
Wednesday, February 5, from 1pm until 7pm.”
