It is no surprise that progress towards urban air aviation is
continuing despite the current pandemic. Indeed, the coronavirus has
given opportunities for operators to demonstrate the benefits of
drone deliveries.
The latest development has seen Amazon take a step closer to
being able to deliver small packages to people's homes within
the US via drones. The
process has been challenging given that FAA regulations are
designed for piloted aircraft rather than unoccupied drones. There are still some
regulatory and technical hurdles to overcome, but the direction of
travel is clear.
Other companies in the US have already obtained sufficient
authorisation to allow them to conduct limited drone deliveries,
e.g. UPS delivers medical supplies within a hospital campus. With this step forward by
Amazon and FAA regulations expected by the end of the year to cater
for drone deliveries, these are likely to become part of the
"new normal" before too long...
