Retail giant hopes to launch drone delivery in Italy in 2025.

Amazon has successfully tested its first drone delivery in Italy, the online retail giant said on Thursday, amid plans to launch a drone-delivery service in the country next year.

The test flight was conducted using a MK-30 drone near Amazon's San Salvo distribution complex in the central Abruzzo region of Italy on Wednesday.

The company said the drone's computer vision system allows it to "move safely away from obstacles, ensuring the safety of people, animals and property, and helping to keep Amazon drones separate from other aircraft in the operational area."

The trial comes as Amazon moves to expand its Prime Air service, first launched two years ago and currently operational in a limited way in a couple of US locations.

The Mk-30 drone has a round-trip range of 24 km and can deliver packages of up to 2.5 kg. Around 90 per cent of Amazon products weigh less than this.

In a statement, Amazon said that it "continues to work with Italian authorities to meet all the requirements needed to launch the service next year".

Amazon previously said it had hoped to start using drones to deliver packages in Italy by the end of this year, stressing that the drone technology was "absolutely safe" and that the MK30 could fly in more diverse weather conditions than earlier models.