Amazon Scores FAA Approval to Operate Prime Air Delivery Drones

Amazon is celebrating a big victory this week, having received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones.

The company now joins Alphabet’s Wing who was the first to win FAA approval for their own drone delivery operations. UPS last October won approval from the FAA to operate a fleet of drones as an airline.

According to the FAA approval, Amazon will now be able to have broad privileges to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers.” The certification comes under Part 135 of FAA regulations, which gives Amazon the ability to carry property on small drones “beyond the visual line of sight” of the operator.

This milestone allows the company to expand unmanned package delivery.

Amazon said on Monday that it will use the FAA’s certification to begin testing customer deliveries. The company assures that its drone delivery operations are safe and has demonstrated the technology for FAA inspectors. Amazon additionall has said it validated more than 500 safety and efficiency processes as part of its application for the certificate.

“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, vice president of Prime Air, said in a statement.

“We will continue to develop and refine our technology to fully integrate delivery drones into the airspace, and work closely with the FAA and other regulators around the world to realize our vision of 30 minute delivery.”

Carbon, a former Boeing executive, joined Amazon and took the lead on its drone program this past March. He called the certification an important step.

Amazon’s Prime Air fleet isn’t ready to immediately deploy package deliveries at scale, but the company is actively flying and testing the technology.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.