Amazon’s drone deliveries take off - and it takes 13 minutes from clicking ‘Buy’ to delivery

Amazon launched its drone delivery service this week – showing off a video where a package arrived just 13 minutes after a customer pressed the ‘Buy’ button.

The service – which is live now – will mean customers never have to wait longer than half an hour for delivery (although, so far, it’s limited to one very small area).

The delivery drones fly at 400 feet and are electrically powered. They’re loaded with a package, then they travel along an automated track from the warehouse to the launch pad.

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From there, they then take off and fly autonomously, guided by GPS.

The first delivery was a Fire TV stick and a bag of popcorn delivered to a customer in Cambridge.

To begin with, the only people able to use the service are customers within flying distance of Amazon’s drone warehouse – who can expect deliveries within half an hour.

The number of people who can order via ‘Amazon Air’ is expected to be ‘dozens’.

Amazon has opted to launch the service in the UK rather than the US due to regulations on the use of drones in our airspace.