Earlier this week Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced on 60 Minutes that his company is currently in the testing phase of a new service called Amazon PrimeAir that would allow customers to receive their goods in less than 30 minutes. The catch, of course, is that these deliveries will be flying in on the remote-operated drones that have caused consternation between privacy activists, local governments, and law enforcement agencies.
There has been a great deal written about whether this is a great or terrible proposal, but perhaps the better question is whether or not the concept will translate into reality.
In Washington there are currently no restrictions on the use of drones, but that may not be
the case for long. Late last session a bill was introduced to regulate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles – drones – by law enforcement agencies. State agencies would need legislative approval, and local law enforcement agencies would need the okay from their local government. This session, Representative Jeff Morris (D-Mount Vernon) will be introducing a bill to set up a regulatory framework for hobby drones. Either could be an impediment to Amazon’s new system.
More broadly, Amazon will have to contend with a number of regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration as well as other states that have restricted or barred the use of private drones. Further, they will have to address concerns about safety, urban obstacles, battery life, and inclement weather that may require legislative input.
So will we see PrimeAir drones buzzing through the skies? Maybe, but there are a number of hurdles – both in Washington and nationally – that Amazon will have to contend with if they want to see their rapid delivery system take off.