Amazon to trial drone deliveries in US

Amazon has announced it will trial its first drone delivery services in the US later this year. The platform said that customers living in Lockeford, California, will be the first to receive Prime Air deliveries of "thousands of everyday items".

"The promise of drone delivery has often felt like science fiction. We’ve been working for almost a decade to make it a reality," Amazon said in a statement.

After ordering an eligible item the drone will fly to the designated delivery location, descend to the customer’s backyard, "hover at a safe height" and then "safely release the package and rise back up to altitude".

Feedback by Lockeford residents will help to scale the technology for customers "everywhere", Amazon said.

The company said its drone delivery system uses a sense-and-avoid system that will enable operations without visual observers and will "safely" avoid other aircraft, people, pets, and obstacles in transit and when it approaches the ground.

Throughout testing the system Amazon has worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators, and passed the FAA carrier certificate, one of only three companies to do so.

California State Assemblyman Heath Flora commented: "Lockeford residents will soon have access to one of the world's leading delivery innovations. It's exciting that Amazon will be listening to the feedback of the San Joaquin County community to inform the future development of this technology."