Amazon Prime Air Secures Key FAA Drone Delivery Approval

The company has obtained a waiver for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, allowing it to expand its service in College Station, Texas.

Friday, May 31, 2024 at 04:38 PM ET

Verified

Amazon Prime Air delivery drones can now cover a larger service area than previously authorized under FAA regulations. [Courtesy: Amazon Prime Air]

Key Takeaways:

Amazon Prime Air received FAA approval for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, a key development allowing flights without direct human observation.
This critical authorization, based on Prime Air's onboard detect-and-avoid system, will enable immediate expansion of delivery areas and reduce operational constraints.
The company plans to ramp up service in College Station, Texas, launch in Tolleson, Arizona, later this year, and expand internationally to the U.K. and Italy by late 2024.
Amazon aims to deliver 500 million packages annually by drone by 2030 and is developing a new MK-30 drone with improved range and reduced noise.

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Amazon’s drone delivery venture, which so far has fallen short of ex-CEO Jeff Bezos’ vision of nationwide ubiquity, this week delivered a positive update.

Amazon Prime Air on Thursday said it obtained FAA approval for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, which refer to flights that cannot be directly observed by a human pilot. The company said its new permissions will allow it to immediately expand the delivery area for its MK-27 drone in College Station, Texas, one of two U.S. locations in which it began flying in 2022. Its other service, in Lockeford, California, was shut down in April.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.