Amazon defends beyond-line-of- sight drone use

Washington

AMAZON insisted on a significant change to proposed US drone regulations before it introduces 30-minute Prime Air parcel delivery by unmanned aerial vehicles to its American customers.

The online retail giant - a major player in the development of UAVs for civilian missions - acknowledged safety concerns as the Federal Aviation Administration hammers out a final set of commercial drone-flying rules.

But it baulked at the FAA's proposal, set out in a notice of proposed rulemaking in February, that small UAVs fly only in full view of their operators on the ground - not at a distance beyond the line of sight. "If adopted as drafted, the rules would not establish a regulatory framework to permit Prime Air operations in the Unit…