Amazon wins FAA approval to test delivery drones outdoors — with conditions

New York -- Amazon.com has received preliminary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to test drone delivery. Although consumers should not expect packages to be dropped on their porches by buzzing unmanned aircraft anytime soon, just getting the OK to test the devices is regarded as a big win for the online retail giant.



The Federal Aviation Administration has given Amazon’s logistics arm an “experimental airworthiness certificate,” which allows the company to fly its drones for research, testing and crew training purposes. It includes an array of restrictions, starting with the requirement that the drones — at least for now — must be operated by a pilot with a certificate to fly a private manned aircraft. Amazon has fashioned its drone-delivery service, called Amazon Prime Air, to be autonomous, with unmanned drones dropping packages.



Amazon also has to keep flights at 400 feet or below and can only fly the drones in daylight. The company must report detailed data on a monthly basis to the FAA. The reports must include such items as the number of flights, unusual hardware or software malfunctions, any deviations from air traffic controllers’ instructions, and any unintended loss of communication links.



Amazon plans to test drones in the skies over a piece of private property, somewhere in rural Washington State, the New York Times reported.