Amazon drone deliveries granted huge extension

Amazon's drone delivery service has been given permission to expand from 600 eligible households to 8,000.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has extended the licence for the service, known as Prime Air, to cover a wider area of Darlington where drones have been operating since May.

People with a garden, yard or driveway in the area served by the drones have been able to get deliveries in less than an hour on eligible items that weigh less than 5lb and can fit into a large shoebox.

Amazon said the new, higher level Sail 4 validation from the CAA, which allows drones to fly further and across urban areas, would mean more customers received items "quickly, safely and reliably".

Sophie O'Sullivan, from the CAA, said the extended authorisation "reflects the wider progress being made as the aviation sector evolves and new technologies become part of everyday operations".

Prime Air said its drones had machine-learning models to continuously monitor surroundings and recognise other aircraft, people, animals and physical obstacles that would not appear on a satellite map.

However, flights have not always been successful.

In July, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch launched a probe when a drone crashed into a Darlington garden.

No-one was injured, and Amazon claimed the drone "responded as designed".

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