Amazon announced on Thursday that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted approval for its delivery drones to fly greater distances. With this approval, Amazon can now expand its Prime Air service, delivering individual parcels to more consumers using delivery drones.
The FAA requires operators to keep a line of sight to their drones until technology capable of monitoring and controlling drones without visuals is authorized. Amazon has invested years in developing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) technology to ensure its drones can identify and avoid airborne objects.
To prove that its drones can safely navigate away from planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons, Amazon demonstrated the technology to FAA officials.
This announcement follows Alphabet's Wing receiving an FAA exemption in December, allowing it to operate drones beyond visual line of sight.
In a press release, Amazon stated that the certification allows it to "serve more customers via drone and effectively expand and scale [its] drone delivery operations." Amazon plans to start by extending its drone delivery operations in College Station, Texas, to reach consumers in more densely populated areas. Later this year, Amazon intends to integrate drone deliveries into its same-day delivery system.
Amazon aims to achieve 500 million deliveries annually via drones by the end of this decade, making FAA clearance essential.
The news comes one month after Amazon announced it was halting Prime Air drone deliveries in Lockeford, California. Lockeford was the second U.S. drone delivery site used by Amazon, following College Station. Although Amazon plans to start drone deliveries in Tolleson, Arizona, later this year, it did not provide details on why it stopped operations in Lockeford.
In addition to Amazon, Walmart has also begun using Wing drone deliveries to select Superstores over the past year. DoorDash and Walgreens are other businesses utilizing Wing for drone deliveries.
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