THINGS are looking up for Amazon with ambitious plans for giant airships and a fleet of drones to make deliveries to customers. 

Complaints about delivery lorries clogging the streets near the Dunfermline fulfilment centre could be a thing of the past with goods sent out from flying warehouses in the sky instead. 

Amazon filed a patent in the USA in 2014 which describes giant airships as “Airborne Fulfilment Centres” (AFC) that could be used to store and quickly deliver items at times of high demand, using drones. 

It also suggests ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) may be used to transport workers to and from the ship. 

Drone tests have already been carried out in the UK – the trial is limited to items weighing 5lbs or less that can be delivered in 30 minutes – with the first commercial delivery in Cambridgeshire last month. 

The filing reads: “The AFC may be an airship that remains at a high altitude (eg 45,000 feet) and UAVs with ordered items may be deployed from the AFC to deliver ordered items to user-designated delivery locations.

“As the UAVs descend, they can navigate horizontally toward a user-specified delivery location using little to no power, other than to stabilise the UAV and/or guide the direction of descent. 

“Shuttles (smaller airships) may be used to replenish the AFC with inventory, UAVs, supplies, fuel, etc. 

“Likewise, the shuttles may be utilised to transport workers to and from the AFC.”

Amazon have already taken steps to address traffic issues with their current warehouse in Dunfermline with a temporary lorry park at the old Kingdom Services site on Crossgates Road, just off the A92, used in the run-up to Christmas. 

The firm also received planning permission in August to increase the size of their service yard to create parking for up to 33 HGVs at the southern end of the building. 

Amazon’s plans included erecting a driver welfare building, security fencing and external lighting.