FAA grants Amazon right to begin drone deliveries

“This certification is an important step forward for Prime Air and indicates the FAA’s confidence in Amazon’s operating and safety procedures for an autonomous drone delivery service that will one day deliver packages to our customers around the world,” David Carbon, an Amazon vice president who oversees Prime Air, said in a statement.

The FAA confirmed it had granted the approval, saying in a statement that it’s trying to support innovation in the expanding drone arena while ensuring that such devices operate safely.

Amazon joins Wing — a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet — and UPS as the three companies that have gotten FAA approval to operate under the federal regulations governing charter operators and small airlines.

Wing, with partners Walgreens and FedEx, has been conducting limited drone deliveries under a similar FAA approval in Virginia since last year. UPS flies medical supplies within a hospital campus in Raleigh, N. C. Other smaller companies and startups are also seeking expanded FAA approvals.

Amazon will begin its own delivery tests, it said.

To receive FAA certification, the company had to document everything from pilot training programs to drug testing. It also demonstrated its operations for FAA inspectors in recent days.

The approvals have at times challenged the FAA because its regulations were designed for aircraft with humans aboard, not unoccupied drones. Applicants have had to seek waivers for some requirements, such as a rule that a pilot must wear a seatbelt or that flight attendants must be present on some flights.

The approval comes as Amazon’s business has surged during the COVID- 19 pandemic as consumers turn away from traditional stores in favor of online purchases.

Amazon and other companies hoping to revolutionize the retail world with drones have made significant strides in recent years. They’ve invented new devices and shown, at least on a limited scale, that they’re capable of flying relatively long distances and carrying the payloads necessary for packages.