Retail giant Amazon has submitted an application to expand its drone delivery service to cover the entire town of Darlington, where it has been conducting trials of the technology since early 2026.
The US company announced in January 2026 that Darlington in County Durham would serve as its test centre in the United Kingdom, marking the first time Prime Air had operated outside the United States. Following the launch of initial flights in February 2026, the service became available to customers within a 7.5 mile radius of its County Durham facility, enabling them to receive certain items by drone.
After completing more than 500 flights and deliveries, Amazon is now seeking approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to extend coverage across the whole of Darlington. According to regional news coverage, the company is described as being "on the precipice" of receiving this expansion approval.
David Carbon, vice president of Prime Air, stated that Amazon was anticipating permission to be granted "very soon", with the ultimate objective of rolling out the service across the entire United Kingdom.
There's lots of advantages that come with the drone, but most importantly for our customers, we've never had a customer say 'send my package slower'. Speed is always critical.
How does the current service work?
Eligible customers in Darlington can currently receive deliveries within two hours, provided they meet specific criteria: they must have a garden, yard, or driveway available for delivery, the package must weigh less than 5 pounds, and it must fit inside a large shoebox. According to Amazon's official information, the UK Prime Air service is currently included in Amazon Prime with no additional delivery fee, though this pricing structure is said to be under review as the service expands. Staff at the Darlington site have reported their fastest delivery time to date is 39 minutes.
What are the safety concerns?
Carbon acknowledged that there had been "some incidents" during the trial but maintained that the occurrence rate "is not a percentage that is high at all". In July 2026, an investigation was launched after a drone crashed into a garden in Darlington. Amazon stated that no-one was injured and its initial assessment determined that an object extending above the roof of a moving vehicle came into contact with the drone.
The drone responded as designed and came safely to the ground, according to a company spokesperson.
Carbon argued that the drones contribute to reducing congestion by keeping "people off the road", highlighting a key environmental and traffic management benefit of the delivery method.
What happens next?
The next milestone is Civil Aviation Authority approval for expansion to cover the whole of Darlington, which Amazon expects to receive very soon. The Darlington trial itself is authorised by the Civil Aviation Authority through the end of 2026. Once approval is granted for town-wide coverage, the company intends to pursue wider rollout across the United Kingdom.
Key Facts
- Amazon has completed over 500 drone flights and deliveries in its Darlington trial since February 2026
- Current service covers a 7.5 mile radius and delivers items under 5 pounds within two hours to properties with suitable landing areas
- The company is seeking Civil Aviation Authority approval to expand from the limited trial area to cover all of Darlington
- A drone incident in July 2026 resulted in no injuries, with Amazon stating the aircraft performed as designed
- The ultimate goal is to roll out Prime Air drone delivery across the entire United Kingdom
