Amazon is set to shut down a fulfilment center, affecting 590 jobs. The closure of the Milton Keynes site, Amazon’s first facility established in 1998, is under consultation. Impacted employees will have the opportunity to relocate to the new Northampton site or to other Amazon centers.
The upcoming £500 million Northampton building, scheduled to open in May, will initially employ 1,400 individuals, with plans to increase the workforce to 2,000 employees. Meanwhile, the Amazon sortation center in Milton Keynes, a separate division of the logistics business, remains unaffected by the closure.
In response to the situation, an Amazon spokesperson highlighted the company’s continuous network evaluation to align with business requirements and enhance the employee and customer experience. The closure proposal aims to streamline operations, offering affected staff the chance to transition to the modern Northampton facility or other Amazon locations.
Moreover, Amazon recently disclosed the initiation of drone flight testing as part of its airborne delivery service launch in the UK by 2026. The company has started limited drone flights from its Darlington base, with plans to deliver packages weighing under five pounds within two hours to eligible customers in Darlington when the service officially launches.
The drones, designed for quiet operation comparable to traditional van deliveries, incorporate advanced technology to detect and avoid obstacles during flight. Amazon emphasized the collaboration with local authorities and aviation regulators to ensure a safe and efficient drone delivery service introduction in the UK.