Amazon Seeks US Permission for Drone Tests

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 11 July 2014 19:49 IST
Amazon Seeks US Permission for Drone Tests

Online giant Amazon has sought permission for drone test flights in the United States, saying it is moving forward on plans for deliveries using the unmanned aircraft.

In a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration made public this week, Amazon said that because of restrictions on drones in US airspace, it has been conducting test flights indoors and in other countries.

"Of course, Amazon would prefer to keep the focus, jobs, and investment of this important research and development initiative in the United States by conducting private research and development operations outdoors near Seattle," the letter said.

Amazon said an exemption to FAA rules would be "in the public interest" and "is a necessary step towards realizing the consumer benefits of Amazon Prime Air," which company founder Jeff Bezos has described as a plan for drone delivery to consumers.

Advertisement

Bezos unveiled his idea for drone deliveries last December, and said the company would be ready to launch Amazon Prime Air as early as 2015 if FAA regulations allowed.

(Also see: Amazon CEO provides update on drone delivery and more)

The letter said that over the past five months, "we have made advancements toward the development of highly-automated aerial vehicles for Prime Air," which travel at over 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour and can carry loads up to five pounds (2.2 kilos).

Advertisement

The letter to the FAA said the granting the request "will do nothing more than allow Amazon to do what thousands of hobbyists and manufacturers of model aircraft do every day, and we will abide by much stronger safety measures than currently required for these groups."

Amazon's plan is to allow for deliveries of some goods within 30 minutes of an order.

Advertisement

Amazon said it would conduct the tests on its own property in the northwest state of Washington, and on FAA-approved test sites.

It added that "one day, seeing Amazon Prime Air will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today, resulting in enormous benefits for consumers across the nation."

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Realme C73 5G With 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: See Price
  2. Honor Magic V5 May Offer the Biggest Battery Ever in a Foldable
  3. Exclusive: Huawei Band 10 to Launch in India Priced Under Rs. 5,000
  4. Tecno Pova Curve 5G: Best Budget Camera Phone Of 2025? Honest Review!
  5. iQOO Neo 10 First Sale in India Kicks Off Today: Price, Offers and Features
  6. Apple's Upcoming Base iPhone 17 May Miss Out on Chipset Upgrade
  7. Redmi Pad 2 India Launch, Availability Details and Key Features Teased
  8. Google May Unveil the Pixel 10 Series Much Earlier Than Expected
  9. Supreme Court Upholds Dual Taxation on Cable TV, OTT Platforms: Report
  10. Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Receiving New One UI 7-Based Update in Europe
  1. HMD Rubber 1 Smartwatch With Camera, WearOS May Launch Soon Alongside Rubber 1S
  2. Xiaomi 15 Ultra, Redmi Note 14 Pro+, Pad 7 Discounted in Xiaomi's Upgrade Days Sale
  3. Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Validity of Dual Taxation on Cable TV, OTT Platforms: Report
  4. Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Reportedly Receiving New One UI 7-Based Firmware Update in Europe
  5. Meta Reportedly Planning to Replace Human Reviewers With AI for Risk Assessment
  6. Redmi Pad 2 India Launch, Availability Details and Key Features Teased
  7. Outriders Developer People Can Fly Cancels Two Projects, Says Will 'Scale Down' Teams
  8. Honor Magic V5 Launch Timeline Leaked; May Pack the Biggest Battery Ever in a Foldable
  9. Nintendo Switch 2 Game Upgrade Pack Prices Revealed Ahead of June 5 Debut
  10. Exclusive: Huawei Band 10 With Stress Monitoring, More Features to Launch in India Under Rs. 5,000
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.