Amazon has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate as a drone airline in the United States, which has begun offering commercial delivery on a trial basis. Bloomberg Reports. The FAA said the ruling allowed Amazon to “deliver packages safely and effectively to customers,” and that its drones could take packages out of sight of the operator.
“This certification is an important step forward for Prime Air,” said David Carbon, Amazon’s vice president in charge of Prime Air. BloombergHe added that the decision “reflects confidence in Amazon’s operating procedures and safety processes for an autonomous drone delivery service that will one day deliver packages to our customers worldwide.”
It’s been a long time coming for Amazon, which planned its Prime Air in 2013. But hardware limitations pose big challenges for the company, not to mention health and safety regulation. It delivered its first successful drone in Cambridge, England in 2016, but regular commercial service never followed suit. Even now, Bloomberg Note that there are several barriers to the routine distribution of Amazon and its competitors. The FAA is expected to finalize new rules on drone flying over crowds before the end of the year.
Said Amazon Bloomberg That he plans to start doing delivery tests, but refuses to give further details.
Last year, Amazon unveiled the latest version of its delivery drone, capable of taking off vert like a helicopter and then moving forward like an airplane. Amazon said its goal is to build an electric drone capable of flying 15 miles, deliver packages weighing more than five pounds, and do so in 30 minutes or less. At the time, Amazon said it intended to start delivering packages “in a few months,” but the service was not yet complete.
Amazon is far from the only company to receive FAA certification, Bloomberg Notes. Google’s sister company Wing was approved for delivery last April, and later began delivering in Virginia when U.S. Ordered to be the first commercial drone delivery service in. UPS is also conducting trials using drones to transport medical supplies to North Carolina in partnership with Maternet.
