The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Amazon a crucial approval to operate its Prime Air delivery drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of its pilots. This landmark decision removes a significant regulatory barrier, paving the way for the company to dramatically expand its drone delivery operations across densely populated suburban areas in the United States.
Until now, drone operations were largely restricted to scenarios where a human operator could maintain a direct line of sight with the aircraft. The new waiver, granted for Amazon’s MK-27 drone, allows a single remote pilot to manage multiple drones simultaneously over a wider area, making the service far more scalable and commercially viable. This approval was contingent on Amazon proving the safety and reliability of its sophisticated onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) system, which uses advanced sensors and algorithms to identify and steer clear of other aircraft, people, and obstacles.
Amazon has been testing its drone delivery service in limited areas, including College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California. With the BVLOS exemption, the company can now begin integrating its drone network more broadly into its logistics infrastructure, starting with expanding its operational area in College Station. The goal is to deliver packages under five pounds to customers’ backyards in under an hour.
This regulatory milestone intensifies the competition in the aerial logistics space, putting Amazon on a more even footing with rivals like Alphabet’s Wing and Zipline, which have also been advancing their BVLOS capabilities. For Amazon, it marks a pivotal step in its long-held ambition to make drone delivery a standard part of its Prime service, promising faster and more efficient last-mile fulfillment while reducing its reliance on traditional delivery vehicles.
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