Amazon considers stepping up UK aerial drone testing amidst US curbs
Amazon has warned US officials that its drone testing division may up sticks and move abroad, possibly to the UK, amidst concern that the Federal Aviation Administration may ban it from outdoor flying.
The e-tailer is currently testing its airborne delivery system over UK skies and has advertised for pilots at its Cambridge based research office as it seeks to reduce delivery times.
In a letter to the FSA Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice-president of global public policy, wrote: “Without the ability to test outdoors in the United States soon, we will have no choice but to divert even more of our [drone] research and development resources abroad.”
Prime Air has been developed in the US but the FAA has rebuffed previous requests by the digital giant to be allowed to step up its development programme.
In Britain the Civil Aviation Authority bans drones from flying within 150m of built-up areas but has ‘no established operating guidelines’ for their use.