Small top up grocery deliveries by drone have moved one step closer following a new deal between Amazon and the UK government.

The partnership will allow Amazon to trial the steps needed to make drone deliveries a reality.

A cross-government team supported by the UK Civil Aviation Authority has provided Amazon with permissions to explore three key innovations: beyond line of sight operations in rural and suburban areas; testing sensor performance to make sure the drones can identify and avoid obstacles; and flights where one person operates multiple highly-automated drones.

Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president of global innovation policy and communications, said: “The UK is a leader in enabling drone innovation.

“This announcement strengthens our partnership with the UK and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the UK and elsewhere around the world.”

The trials will help Amazon and the government understand how drones can be used safely and reliably in the logistics industry and to identify what safety regulations will be needed to help move the drone industry forward.

“The UK is charting a path forward for drone technology that will benefit consumers, industry and society,” Misener added.