Drone delivery could get a bit easier for businesses in the near future, with the Trump administration proposing new regulations that would allow usage beyond the line of sight.
A lot of tech solutions have been proposed to alleviate the stress of the trucker shortage on the supply chain. From route optimization software to self-driving trucks, logistics professionals have been doing their best to find a fix before it’s too late.
Delivery drones could help, though, particularly with new, looser regulations on the technology that make it easier to fly them farther.
New, Looser Regulations Proposed for Delivery Drones
According to the Federal Registrar, the Trump administration has proposed new rules around the usage of drones in the US, specifically allowing unmanned aircraft systems to be piloted beyond visual line of sight.
The goal of these new proposals is to make it infinitely easier for these kinds of operations to get approval for a wide range of purposes, including “package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, civic interest, operations training, demonstration, recreation, and flight testing.”
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In addition to the Trump administration, the new regulations were proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Department of Homeland Security.
What Would Actually Change?
With delivery drones already in the air for many states, this kind of change may seem unnecessary to those that aren’t familiar with current regulations. After all, companies like Amazon are already doing this, so what’s the deal?
As it stands right now, tech companies — and anyone else that wants to fly a drone beyond the visual line of sight — need to go through a lengthy process with the FAA to be granted a waiver that allows them to do so.
This new proposal would do away with that waiver program, allowing businesses to start really ramping up their drone delivery programs in a way that could make a big impact on the supply chain in the long run.
“It’s going to change the way that people and products move throughout our airspace. So you may change the way you get your Amazon package. You may get a Starbucks cup of coffee from a drone. The way you get your products will fundamentally change.” – Sean Duffy, US Secretary of Transportation
Company Already Using Delivery Drones
While this new regulation will open the door for more delivery drones, the reality is that this technology is already being used by a wide range of companies to delivery products to individuals.
Here’s a list of some of the companies already using delivery drones:
- Amazon Prime Air
- Google Wing
- Walmart
- DoorDash
- Zipline
While these companies are using drone delivery, they aren’t available everywhere just yet. Many companies have been testing in specific states, with limited functionality country-wide. Walmart, for example, is currently only using delivery drones in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.
