By james art 
The US technology giant said it has now submitted plans for planning with the local authorities and is seeking permission from the Civil Aviation (CAA) for the Drones -Base Delivery Service, which is known as Prime Air.
So far, Prime Air has started in two places in the United States and supplies packages for 60 minutes or less, using a fleet of designed, built and operated Amazon drones.
In a statement, the technology giant said, as well as seeking approval to plan the scheme, he will also engage the local community to answer questions and collect reviews for the service.
“We are ready and excited to turn drones a reality for our customers in the UK. We have built safe and reliable drone delivery services elsewhere in a close partnership with regulators and communities we serve, and we are working to do the same in the UK, “said Azon spokesman.
“We announce that Prime Air is taking steps to start planning initial flights from our Darlington Performance Center.
“Although there is still much work, this is an exciting step forward. An application for planning will be submitted with the local authority, which will request permission to build our facilities for flight operations of the site, together with the application for permission from the civil aviation authority for flying a drone in the airspace.
“As these agreements are available, we will be able to start hiring team members to start delivery of drones.
“We will continue to work closely with the CAA as they are developing the regulatory framework to make commercial delivery of drones a reality in the UK.
“In the meantime, we will also engage in the Darlington Community to answer questions and collect reviews as we strive to offer this new delivery option.
“You can find out more about our Plans for Drop Delivery by attending an event in the central hall, at the Dolphin Center, on February 5, from 13:00 to 19:00.”
Amazon said the service would be optional in their catchment area, and customers who are eligible will be given the opportunity to register through their existing Amazon account.
The company said there is no time frame when the service can start.
“We have nothing more to share (in the time frame) at this time, but we will commit to the community to answer questions and collect feedback as we strive to offer this new delivery option,” said Amazon spokesman.
Amazon has been developing drone delivery systems for several years and has previously tested drone supplies to the UK – made the first autonomous air supply to Cambridgeshire in 2016 during the test.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Huchen welcomes the message, saying: “We grab the opportunities and optimism of the technological revolution – so it is no surprise that Amazon has chosen Darlington as a place to launch Prime Air in the UK.
“We worked tirelessly with Amazon to bring this UK first to Teesside, which will support high -quality jobs, provide vital multi -million dollar investments in our local economy, and will lead to growth in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”