Amazon has warned the Federal Aviation Administration that if it does not allow the company to test deliveries using unmanned aircraft, referred to as drones, then Amazon will carry out the testing abroad.
Amazon, the biggest online retail company, sent a letter to the FAA on Dec. 7, urging the agency to grant the company permission to test its delivery drones outside of its laboratories in Seattle, Washington. Amazon wrote that it will be flying its drones over private property within a rural area for its tests, which will be under the supervision of trained pilots.
Amazon unveiled its plans to utilize drones for deliveries last year, which the company said would allow it to send light packages to its customers in times as fast as 30 minutes or less. The service has been named Amazon Prime Air.
Amazon initially requested for permission from the FAA to test their drones outdoors back in July, based on a request for comments document sent out by the agency regarding potential exemptions on its banning of the operations of commercial drones.
The recent letter of Amazon to the FAA does not only reiterate the company's request for approval to test their delivery drones, but also expresses Amazon's concern that the policies of the agency could prove to be impediments to innovations in technology within the United States.
Amazon VP for global policy Paul Misener wrote in the letter to the FAA that the company has started using facilities for the outdoor testing of its drones in locations outside of the United States, as the company awaits approval from the FAA.
"It is our continued desire to also pursue fast-paced innovation in the United States, which would include the creation of high-quality jobs and significant investment in the local community," Misener wrote, stating what the country could lose from Amazon, and perhaps also from other tech companies, if the FAA does not issue its approval for drone testing.
Back in September, seven production companies from Hollywood were granted permission by the FAA to utilize drones to capture videos for films, and it is through this same program that Amazon has sent in its request for approval.
The Hollywood production companies are currently the only permitted users of commercial drones in the continental United States. In addition, a pair of oil companies was given approval to use commercial drones for exploration in Alaska's arctic regions.
The FAA has said that Amazon's request is currently under review, pending additional information that the agency requested from the company.
