Wal-Mart joins race for drone delivery with FAA application

Wal-Mart Stores wants to test drones for delivering products, entering a race with online competitors Amazon.com and Google.

Wal-Mart on Monday asked the Federal Aviation Administration for a waiver to test drones outdoors, with a goal of eventually using them to deliver goods to consumers.

The company also wants to use drones to assist with tracking merchandise, such as taking inventory of trailers outside its distribution centers, according to the filing. Wal-Mart will have to wait until it does further testing before it can determine if or when drones will become part of its daily operations, spokesman Brian Nick said.

It has already been experimenting indoors where it doesn’t need government approval, according to its filing with the agency.

The FAA has issued more than 2,000 waivers to businesses that want to use drones for such uses as photography, aerial surveillance and inspections. So far, the approvals have been for low-altitude flights within sight of the operator and away from bystanders, making it impossible to use for delivering products to people’s homes.

Companies such as Amazon and Google have also been testing drones designed to deliver small packages to people’s homes, a concept that both have said is still years away.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Wal-Mart joins race for drone delivery with FAA application."