Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to conduct trials of drone flights in the UK beyond the visual line of sight of human operators.
The online retailer is one of six organizations participating in a CAA-led initiative to test advanced technologies for various drone operations, including package deliveries, offshore wind farm inspections, and emergency medical supply transport.
The trials will take place at Kirkwall Airport in the Orkney Islands, where drones and other aircraft will be tested for their ability to safely coexist in shared airspace.
Data collected during these trials will play a critical role in shaping future regulations for the broader use of drones across the UK.
Sophie O’Sullivan, director at the CAA, said: “These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in integrating drones safely into UK airspace. 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.”
Amazon plans to introduce drone deliveries in the UK and Italy before the end of 2024.
This comes after the company scaled back its UK drone operations in 2021, following initial trials in Cambridge that began nearly eight years ago. T
The trials are part of Amazon's efforts to expand its Prime Air service, which already offers drone deliveries in select areas of the United States.