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(Sharecast News) - Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service has been granted regulatory approval to expand operations in the north-east of England, increasing the number of eligible households to 8,000 from around 600.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has extended the service's operating licence to cover a larger area of Darlington, where Amazon has been trialling drone deliveries since May.
Under the scheme, customers with access to a suitable garden, driveway or yard can receive eligible items weighing less than 5lb and small enough to fit inside a large shoebox in under an hour.
Amazon said the approval, which includes a higher-level Sail 4 validation from the CAA, would allow its drones to fly over a wider geographic area, including urban locations, enabling faster and more reliable deliveries to more customers.
The company said its drones use machine-learning technology to monitor their surroundings and identify other aircraft, people, animals and obstacles in real time.
CAA director of future air mobility and regulatory change Sophie O'Sullivan said the extended authorisation reflected broader progress in integrating new aviation technologies into everyday operations.
The expansion comes despite a recent setback for the programme. In July, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch opened an investigation after an Amazon drone crashed into a garden in Darlington. No injuries were reported and Amazon said the aircraft had "responded as designed".
Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com
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