Drones, for the last few years, have been viewed as the future of last-mile delivery for a variety of organizations ranging from 3PLs to hospitals. Amazon has applied for a waiver with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that, if approved, would allow the retailer to begin drone delivery in the United States.

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Amazon has applied for a waiver with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that, if approved, would allow the retailer to begin drone delivery in the United States.

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Amazon's Prime Air service would use drones capable of carrying up to five pounds to deliver packages to customers within 30 minutes or less, according to the retailer's petition.

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"There is no set timeline for approval," an FAA spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive in an email. "Approval time depends, among other things, on the number and type of comments we receive, and the thoroughness of a company’s plan to operate safely under the requested exemptions."

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