National

Delivery by drone in 30 minutes? Amazon says it’s coming

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

Associated Press
From left, Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Airspace Systems Program Director Dr. John Cavolowsky, Amazon Global Public Policy Vice President Paul Misener, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International President & CEO Brian Wynne, and Center for Democracy and Technology Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Harley Geiger testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 17, 2015, before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the economic impact of regulating drone technology for personal and commercial uses as well as privacy concerns on the economic impact of regulating drone technology for personal and commercial uses as well as privacy concerns.
From left, Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Airspace Systems Program Director Dr. John Cavolowsky, Amazon Global Public Policy Vice President Paul Misener, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International President & CEO Brian Wynne, and Center for Democracy and Technology Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Harley Geiger testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 17, 2015, before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the economic impact of regulating drone technology for personal and commercial uses as well as privacy concerns on the economic impact of regulating drone technology for personal and commercial uses as well as privacy concerns. Andrew Harnik AP
WASHINGTON

Online retail giant Amazon says it is developing the technology to use drones to deliver packages in 30 minutes or less, a broad expansion of unmanned flight that is raising concerns about safety, security and privacy.

Using commercial drones to quickly deliver packages is probably years away. But when government regulations catch up with emerging technologies, Amazon says it could revolutionize the way people shop for items they need quickly.

Amazon vice president Paul Misener told a House committee Wednesday the federal government needs to speed up rules that regulate the use of commercial drones.

The Federal Aviation Administration proposed rules in February that would severely restrict their use. FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker said more research is needed before the government allows widespread use of commercial drones.

 

This story was originally published June 17, 2015 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Delivery by drone in 30 minutes? Amazon says it’s coming."

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