Amazon has become the first retailer in the UK to start a drone delivery service with a limited launch in Darlington, County Durham.
Packages weighing less than 5lb (2.2kg) and containing everyday items are now being delivered within a 7.5 mile (12km) radius of Amazon’s fulfilment centre – in as little as two hours.
The tech giant says it can carry out a maximum ten flights an hour, or up to a hundred deliveries a day on weekdays, as part of its limited launch – but hopes to slowly expand the service as the demand for ultra-fast deliveries grows.
Drones are already being trialled by the NHS to deliver blood supplies in London and Royal Mail is using them to send sending packages to remote communities in Orkney.
But this is the first time it’s being used for everyday shopping. Darlington is currently the only place outside the US where Amazon is doing drone deliveries. But the service is still at an early stage with testing expected to continue.