Amazon Unleashes Drone Fleet in Darlington

Amazon's state-of-the-art drone fleet has arrived in Darlington, UK, where hundreds of packages have been delivered to residents since February. The tech giant selected the 465,000-square-foot fulfillment centre at Symmetry Park as its first drone hub across Europe.

The process begins with a pre-flight inspection and installation of a charged battery. Each drone, fitted with six rotors, takes off vertically before switching to horizontal flight. A package weighing less than five pounds is then loaded into the underside of the aircraft and closed manually.

Once airborne, the drone flies autonomously to the customer's property at speeds of up to 70mph, normally lasting around 13 minutes. Cameras monitor the surrounding airspace and navigate around unexpected aircraft before dropping the parcel from a safe height. A customized cushioning technology protects the item during delivery.