Amazon reported this Thursday (5) that it had successfully completed the initial test for the use of drones in deliveries in Italy, the first European country where the e-commerce giant plans to introduce the service.
The test was carried out on Wednesday (4) in San Salvo, a town in the central region of Abruzzo.
“The company continues to work with Italian authorities to meet all necessary requirements to launch the service next year,” Amazon said.
The company had previously said it expected to start using drones in Italy and the UK in late 2024.
In August, the UK aviation regulator said it had selected six projects, including one from Amazon, to test the use of drones in a range of activities, including deliveries, infrastructure inspection and emergency services.
The service called Prime Air, first launched in December 2022, is currently operational in some locations in the US states of Texas and Arizona, and is expected to be expanded gradually, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
“Amazon delivery drones first flew 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 Amazon’s computer vision program ”, said the statement about the test in Italy.
“This allows drones to safely move 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.”
