The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Amazon approval for a drone trial as long as the drones stay within the line of sight of their pilots. The regulator has granted the company a certificate, allowing staff with pilot’s licenses to try out the unmanned aircraft. It says the drones must be flown at a maximum of 400 feet or below in daylight hours.
Operating drones for commercial purposes is currently illegal, but the rules are currently being revised by the FAA, with new rules likely to be made official soon, allowing drones to operate unmanned for commercial and recreational purposes.
Amazon asked the FAA for approval last year, later warning that it may start to test the program in other countries if the US didn’t comply with its plans. The project is branded Amazon Prime air. The company will need to provide data on flight numbers and other details on a monthly basis. It first announced plans to offer delivery via drone in December 2013. Other companies planning on launching a similar service include Alibaba, UPS and Google. All three are currently carrying out private trials.
Amazon recently opened up a new shop on Alibaba’s TMall marketplace in China.
