Amazon’s drone delivery dream is edging closer with a new US programme to expand when and how the devices can be tested.
President Donald Trump is giving local governments more authority to allow drone tests over crowds, at night, and out of sight of operators, the White House said.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the administration said it wants to free up new commercial uses for the craft and create jobs.
Amazon and Google’s parent company Alphabet are among a growing number of firms hoping to make package delivery by drones a reality.
Amazon and Google’s parent company Alphabet are among a growing number of companies hoping to make package delivery by drones a reality. A new US government programme is expanding how and when drones can be tested. Pictured is a prototype Amazon drone
Speaking to reporters yesterday, White House adviser Michael Kratsios said: ‘In order to maintain American leadership in this emerging industry here at home, our country needs a regulatory framework that encourages innovation while ensuring airspace safety.’
The program will allow companies and governments to operate drones in ways that are currently restricted by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).
These include ‘beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, nighttime operations, and flights over people,’ Mr Kratsios said.
The ‘program will open the skies for delivery of life-saving medicines and commercial packages, inspections of critical infrastructure, support for emergency management operations,’ he said.
The pilot program aims to speed up the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace system, and will test drone detection and tracking.
States and local governments would be able to seek Federal Aviation Administration approval for testing and expanded use.
But the White House stopped short of proposing new regulations that would allow broader nationwide use of drones or any timetable for new authority.
In 2016, the Obama administration opened the skies to low-level small drones for education, research and routine commercial use, but left heavy restrictions in place.
President Donald Trump is giving local governments more authority to allow drone tests over crowds, at night, and out of sight of operators, the White House said. The administration said it wants to free up new commercial uses for the craft and create jobs
The FAA estimates by 2021 the fleet of small hobbyist drones will more than triple and commercial drones will grow tenfold to about 442,000.
In June, Trump told drone executives the administration wants ‘to create new companies and lots of jobs… We’re going to give you the competitive advantage that you need.’
In attendance were chiefs of drone companies including Kespry, AirMap, Airspace, Measure UAS, Trumbull Unmanned, and Precision Hawk.
Drone manufacturers have argued that the administration should move faster to approve broader commercial use of drones.
They have noted that the Transportation Department does pre-approve self-driving vehicle technologies.
But security concerns remain.
In September, a civilian drone struck and damaged a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Staten Island, New York.
This month, a drone hit an airplane landing at a Quebec City airport, the first time an unmanned flying object collided with commercial aircraft in Canada.
The FAA has banned drone flights over 133 US military facilities and over 10 US landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty in New York and Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.