Published : 3 days ago, on 06/12/2024

ROME (Reuters) – Amazon said on Thursday it had successfully completed an initial test of using delivery drones in Italy, the first European country where the e-commerce giant plans to introduce the service.

The test was carried out on Wednesday in San Salvo, a town in the central Abruzzo region.

“The company continues to work with Italian authorities to meet all the requirements needed to launch the service next year,” Amazon said.

The company had previously said it hoped to start using drones in Italy and in Britain in late 2024.

In August, Britain’s aviation regulator said it had selected six projects, including one by Amazon, to test the use of drones in deliveries, inspection of infrastructure and emergency services.

So-called Prime Air drone package deliveries, first launched in December 2022, are currently operational in a couple of U.S. locations in Texas and Arizona, and are due to be gradually expanded, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

Amazon delivery drones flew for the first time in Italian skies on December 4, 2024. The test flight was made with the new MK-30 drone, the highly automated drone system that uses the industry-leading Amazon computer vision program,” its statement said on the test in Italy.

“This allows drones to move safely away from obstacles, ensuring the safety of people, animals and property, and helping to keep Amazon drones separate from other aircraft in the operational area.”

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)