Amazon is set to shut down a fulfilment center, affecting 590 jobs. The closure of the Milton Keynes facility, Amazon’s first center established in 1998, is currently under consultation. Impacted employees will have the option to transfer to the new Northampton site or other locations within the company.
The new Northampton building, costing £500 million, is slated to open in May and will initially employ 1,400 individuals, eventually increasing to 2,000 staff members. While the fulfilment center in Milton Keynes is facing closure, the separate Amazon sortation center in the same area remains unaffected by the proposed changes.
An Amazon spokesperson stated that the company continuously evaluates its network to align with business requirements and enhance the experience for both employees and customers. The consultation announcement aims to transition affected employees to the advanced Northampton facility or other Amazon sites, emphasizing the support for employees throughout the process.
In parallel news, Amazon has commenced testing drone flights in preparation for the launch of its UK airborne delivery service in 2026. The company has begun limited drone flights from its Darlington base, with plans to provide drone delivery services to eligible customers in Darlington receiving packages weighing less than five pounds within a two-hour timeframe.
Amazon confirmed the initiation of Prime Air drone flights from its Darlington fulfillment center at Symmetry Park, indicating that deliveries are not yet operational but are expected to commence in 2026. The company expressed excitement about introducing drone delivery to the UK, highlighting collaboration with Darlington Council and the Civil Aviation Authority during this phase.
The drones have been designed for minimal noise levels comparable to traditional van deliveries. Advanced onboard systems enable the drones to identify and avoid obstacles during descent, while sophisticated perception technology, incorporating machine learning models, assists in recognizing various objects and ensuring safe flight paths.