Amazon plans to shut down one of its fulfilment centers, impacting 590 jobs. The closure of the site in Milton Keynes, which was Amazon’s first center established in 1998, is under consultation. Employees affected by this decision will have the option to transfer to the new Amazon facility in Northampton or to other locations.
The new £500 million Northampton building is set to open in May, initially hiring 1,400 employees with a potential increase to 2,000 staff members. The Amazon sortation center, a separate part of the logistics business, also located in Milton Keynes, remains unaffected by the closure plans.
An Amazon spokesperson stated that the company constantly reviews its network to align with business requirements and enhance the experience for both employees and customers. The priority is to provide support to affected employees during this transition.
In a separate development, Amazon has commenced testing drone flights in preparation for the launch of its airborne delivery service in the UK by 2026. The company has initiated limited drone flights from its Darlington base but has not yet introduced the drone delivery service to customers.
Once launched, eligible Amazon customers in Darlington will receive packages weighing less than five pounds within a two-hour timeframe. The drones have been designed to operate quietly, with noise levels comparable to traditional van deliveries.
Amazon confirmed the commencement of Prime Air drone flights from its Darlington fulfillment center and anticipates a full launch of the service in 2026. The company is collaborating closely with Darlington Council and the Civil Aviation Authority throughout this process.
The drones are equipped with advanced technology to identify and avoid obstacles during delivery, ensuring safe and efficient operations. This includes the use of sophisticated machine learning models to recognize various objects and navigate the airspace effectively.