Amazon gets FAA approval allowing it to expand drone deliveries for online orders

By HALELUYA HADERO
AP Business Writer

Federal regulators are giving Amazon key permission that will allow it to expand its drone delivery program. The company said Thursday the Federal Aviation Administration is allowing Amazon’s Prime Air delivery service to operate drones “beyond visual line of sight.” The approval removes a barrier that has prevented Amazon’s drones from traveling longer distances. An FAA spokesperson says the approval applies to College Station, Texas, where the company launched drone deliveries in late 2022. Amazon says it received permission from regulators after developing a strategy that ensures its drones could “detect and avoid obstacles in the air.”