Amazon makes first-ever Prime Air drone deliveries outside U.S.
Amazon Prime Air delivery drones are now flying in the U.K.
The e-tail giant, which has been offering drone deliveries of orders in select U.S. markets since 2022, is now delivering orders from its 465,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in the U.K. city of Darlington via Prime Air drones.
Amazon began taking part in trials conducted by CAA to test drone use in deliveries, inspections of infrastructure, emergency services, and flights to remote locations in summer 2024 and started planning for initial U.K. drone deliveries in early 2025.
[READ MORE: Amazon preparing for initial U.K. drone deliveries]
The company previously tested drone delivery in the U.K. in 2016 but never moved beyond pilot stage in that project. Amazon has also tested drone deliveries in Italy.
Amazon has fitted the Darlijngton site with state-of-the-art robotics technology and, as of February 2026 has been delivering parcels to customers by drone as part of the launch of Prime Air outside of the U.S. Like in the U.S., deliveries in the UK are made within 60 minutes or less of a customer placing an order using the MK30 drone.
Prime Air delivery in the U.K. is currently available to customers with a garden, yard, or driveway in a 7.5-mile radius of the Darlington fulfillment center. When an item weighs five pounds or less and fits into a large shoebox, the customer can select the drone delivery option during checkout. Millions of items are currently eligible.
During checkout, customers see a satellite map of their property showing options for "delivery zones," pre-identified using Amazon's digital mapping and artificial intelligence systems. This is all done digitally with no physical survey of the property needed. The customer can then select one of these drop-off zones and will be reminded to keep the area clear.
A proprietary Amazon robot model called Hercules serves as an autonomous lifting unit and brings items to human associates who place them in Prime Air packaging. The MK30 drone has received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval to conduct operations, and an associate carries out a pre-flight inspection of the drone and installs a charged battery before loading the package into the underside of the aircraft.
When inspections care complete and the package loaded, the drone flies autonomously to the customer's property at speeds of up to 70mph and according to Amazon is quieter than an average delivery van. Once the drone has arrived at the customer's property, it begins its descent while identifying and steering clear of obstacles. Cameras also monitor the surrounding airspace and can navigate around unexpected aircraft.
The drone then drops the parcel from a safe height. Prime Air boxes have customized cushioning technology at the bottom to protect the item during delivery. When the delivery is complete, the drone returns to the fulfillment center. Weather signals are integrated into the checkout process so drone delivery will not appear as an option in the event of unsafe weather conditions.
"I'm proud that Darlington is the first Prime Air location outside the U.S., and that U.K. customers are now experiencing this." Amazon U.K. country manager John Boumphrey said in a corporate blog post. "The team has spent years making this safe, reliable and real."
Currently in the U.K., Prime Air delivery is included as part of an Amazon Prime membership with no additional delivery fee for members. As Amazon extends the service to broader areas in the U.K., it says it will evaluate delivery fees consistent with its other premium speed services. Amazon has set a goal of having drones deliver 500 million packages globally by the end of the decade.
