Amazon Gets FAA Permission to Test Delivery Drones

An Amazon delivery drone prototype. (Credit: Amazon) When the Federal Aviation Administration released its draft regulations for commercial drone flight last month, it appeared Amazon’s ambitions to launch a drone delivery service were effectively grounded. But things aren’t always as they appear, and the Internet retailer’s delivery drones may still have a fighting chance. On Thursday, the FAA issued Amazon a special “experimental airworthiness certificate,” which allows the company to conduct outdoor research to test its fleet of delivery drones.