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A fleet of drones is now poised to deliver packages for Amazon Prime now that the Federal Aviation Administration has granted the mogul company approval to deliver unmanned packages on Monday, Aug. 31.
The company said that it went through a rigorous approval process, including demonstrating the safety and efficiency of its drones to FAA officials.
“This certification is an important step forward for Prime Air and indicates the FAA’s confidence in Amazon’s operating and safety procedures for an autonomous drone delivery service that will one day deliver packages to our customers around the world,” Vice President David Carbon of Prime Air in a statement. “We will continue to develop and refine our technology to fully integrate delivery drones into the airspace, and work closely with the FAA and other regulators around the world to realize our vision of 30-minute delivery."
The company reports that the quick-delivery service won't be unveiled immediately, as their technology must still be tested and run through its paces.
Their delivery drones have reportedly been in development since 2013, and the company submitted a formal petition to the FAA in August of 2019.
According to Amazon's petition to the agency, they plan to use drone technology in areas with low population density for packages that weigh five pounds or less.
The electric delivery drones, which were first debuted in Las Vegas at Amazon's re:MARS conference last summer, can fly up to 15 miles.
They reportedly use artificial intelligence technology and collision avoidance systems to circumnavigate people, telephone wires, small animals and property as they travel to their destinations.
The rechargeable technology operates in line with the company's goal to halt any carbon emissions by 2030.
Last year, Amazon invested billions to transition to halve the standard of two-day shipping to just one day for Amazon Prime customers.
Although their technology is cutting edge, Amazon is not the first delivery service to achieve FAA approval for a drone fleet: UPS did so last October, and Alphabet-owned company Wing was the first company to receive the agency's approval.
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