Amazon has been selected to participate in a UK trial aimed at expanding the use of dronesThe online retail giant is one of six organisations selected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to trial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, which do not require operators to keep the devices within their physical line of sight.
Amazon plans to launch its Prime Air service in the UK later this year, promising small-scale deliveries packages within an hour of placing the order. The company is already making drone deliveries in Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas in the US.
Other projects selected by the CAA for BVLOS flight testing include offshore wind farm inspections, the National Police Aviation Serviceair traffic control service provider Nats, flights from the Scottish archipelago of Orkney and deliveries of emergency medical supplies. The regulator said all arrangements will use “advanced technologies“for navigation, control and detection of other aircraft.
Sophie O’Sullivan, CAA Director of Future of Flight, said: “These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in the safe integration of drones into UK airspace. By supporting projects ranging from consumer deliveries to critical infrastructure inspections, we are collecting vital data to help shape future policy and regulation.”
She concluded: “Our aim is to make beyond visual line of sight drone operations a safe and everyday reality, contributing to the modernisation of UK airspace and the integration of new technology into our skies.”
David Carbon, vice president and general manager of Amazon Prime Air, commented: “It is critical for operators like us to have clear regulatory requirements so we can offer and scale new technologies, like drone delivery, to customers in the UK.
“We appreciate the CAA’s efforts to work with us and provide clarity to the regulations that support commercial drone delivery.”