Amazon wins FAA approval for Prime Air Drone Delivery in the United States

Online shoppers in the United States will soon get their Amazon packages delivered from the sky as the company received federal approval to operate its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)- a governmental body of the United States on Monday said the certification is a milestone that allows Amazon to expand unmanned package delivery.

Certification under Part 135 of FAA regulations

The FAA approval will give Amazon in US broad privileges to safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers, according to the agency. The agency certification comes under Part 135 of FAA regulations, giving Amazon the ability to carry property on small drones 'beyond the visual line of sight' of the operator. 

Amazon said that it will utilise the FAA’s certification to begin testing customer deliveries. The company further said that it went through rigorous training and submitted detailed evidence that its drone delivery operations are safe. The company has also demonstrated the technology for FAA inspectors.

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Important step forward for Prime Air in US

Amazon in its statement said that the certification is an important step forward for Prime Air and indicates the FAA’s confidence in the company's operating and safety procedures for an autonomous drone delivery service that will one day deliver packages to its customers around the world. The company will continue to develop and refine its technology to fully integrate delivery drones into the airspace, and work closely with the FAA and other regulators around the world to realize the company's vision of 30-minute delivery, the statement further read.

Adding further Amazon said the Prime Air fleet isn’t ready to immediately deploy package deliveries at scale, it’s actively flying and testing the technology. 

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The online shopping giant has zeroed in on drone delivery as part of a push to get packages quicker to Prime members. Amazon has also invested billions of dollars to transition from two to one-day delivery, since 2019.

The company began testing delivery drones in 2013 with an aim to drop off packages at customers’ doorsteps in 30 minutes or less. The company submitted a petition for FAA approval of the plans in August 2019. The company in its petition said deliveries would occur in areas with low population density and packages would weigh 5 pounds or less.

Amazon made its debut for the new, electric delivery drone at its 2019 re:MARS conference that’s capable of carrying packages under 5 pounds to customers within a half-hour and can fly up to 15 miles. In December 2013, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos said in a televised interview that drones would be flying to customer's homes within five years.

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