Amazon announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted clearance to its drone delivery operations to fly farther distances.
Prime Air operations were previously only allowed to fly its drones within a pilot's view, limiting the area it could cover for deliveries.
FAA Grants Amazon Prime Air Clearance for Drone Deliveries
In a blog post, Amazon shared that the FAA's recent approval will allow the company to expand its drone deliveries and lay a foundation for more locations in the country. The company has been under probe which prevented its drone delivery from being available to more areas.
Previously, drone deliveries are done within the visual line of sight of a pilot. Amazon can now perform drone deliveries even beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). The remote pilot will monitor and control the drones at all times using technology and instruments.
Amazon revealed that a BVLOS strategy was presented to the FAA to get permission. The company also provided an onboard detect-and-avoid technology which was developed for several years.
Amazon Pushes Drone Deliveries to More Areas
The company shared that it will expand its service area in College Station, Texas, which is currently one of the testing sites. Amazon also announced that drone deliveries will soon be integrated into the platform's delivery network.
The upcoming integration will allow drones to be deployed from facilities next to Same-Day Delivery sites. The operation is expected to perform faster delivery along with a wider selection of items eligible for drones.
"It's taken years of inventing, testing, and improving to develop these breakthrough technologies, and now, on the heels of regulatory approval and cutting-edge technology, we're excited to launch this next chapter for Prime Air," Amazon wrote.
Drone deliveries were launched in some select areas in the U.S., Italy, and the U.K. The company has also been testing different weight limitations that drone deliveries can handle.
