Amazon Says Drone Delivery Would Be Safe - And All It Wants Is a Chance to Demonstrate That
In its most detailed public disclosure about a proposed service called Prime Air, Amazon is arguing that cargo drones should be allowed to take flight if the online retailer can show they're not going to collide with planes or crash to the ground.
The drones, still in development, would mostly fly at least 200 feet off the ground, relying on sensors and computers to select a route to customers’ doors and avoid hazards, Amazon said in a request Friday to the Federal Aviation Administration seeking leniency on pending drone regulations. One Amazon employee would operate many drones simultaneously, according to the request letter.
With its comments, Amazon joins other companies pressing the FAA revise its proposed drone restrictions to allow technology that could change not just the way deliveries are made, but reshape farmland management and industrial inspections.