The American aviation authority FAA has licensed Amazon online store to deliver orders with autonomous drones.

 

The aim is to be able to deliver light parcels within half an hour to customers in sparsely populated regions in the long term.

Amazon will initially be able to test its Prime Air service thanks to the license, CBS News reports. “This certification represents an important step forward,” said Drone Vice President David Carbon.

“She also shows the FAA has confidence in the operational processes and safety procedures of unmanned drones that will one day deliver parcels to customers around the world.”

It is not the first drone license issued by the FAA. In October last year, Wing, the drone subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), became the first company to deliver parcels by drone in the US.

Residents of Christiansburg, Virginia, can, among other things, have over-the-counter medicines and food delivered with such an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Courier service UPS also received official permission to use drones for commercial purposes in October 2019. These devices are primarily used to deliver medical packages.