What’s so special about Darlington, a a market town in County Durham? 201 years ago they were the first place in England (actually in the world!) to get the first public railway which used steam locomotives. Now Darlington’s population of about 110,000 are going to be the first place in the UK to get Amazon drone deliveries, with drone flights already operating out of Amazon’s Darlington fulfilment centre and Prime Air due to launch later in 2026.
The service will use Amazon’s newest MK30 drone, which operates safely and autonomously using sophisticated, industry-leading detect-and-avoid technology, ensuring the safety of people, pets, and property.
When the service launches, eligible Prime customers based in the area will be able to opt-in to drone delivery and choose from thousands of products, everyday essentials, beauty items, and office/tech supplies. Amazon aim to get anything weighing up to five pounds (2¼kg) , into customers’ hands quickly, in less than two hours.
Starting flights in Darlington marks an important milestone in bringing drone delivery to the UK. Safety is our top priority and we have worked closely with Darlington Council and the Civil Aviation Authority. Our MK30 drones are designed to operate quietly and efficiently. We look forward to demonstrating how this innovative technology can serve the people of Darlington while maintaining the highest safety standards.
– David Carbon, VP, Prime Air
Safety is Amazon’s top priority and Prime Air systems are built with multiple safety features. The MK30 has received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval to conduct operations. As the MK30 descends for delivery, its onboard systems identify and steer clear of obstacles such as clotheslines or trampolines—items that might not appear in satellite maps.
These same cameras continuously monitor the surrounding airspace during flight, determining whether evasive action is needed to avoid other aircraft entering the drone’s flight path. The perception technology relies on sophisticated machine learning models trained to recognise various objects, including people, animals, physical barriers, and other airborne vehicles.
The development team built an independent monitoring computer that oversees the main flight control system. When the monitoring system identifies irregularities during flight, it can instantly switch control to a secondary controller whilst initiating an automated return-to-base procedure.
