How Should States, Local Areas Prepare for Drone Deliveries?

Source: GovTech Published: October 16th, 2020

As tens of thousands of new COVID-19 cases appear every day in the U.S., the concept of local drone deliveries appear particularly attractive, and industry giants have responded in kind.

In August, Amazon became the third company to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to perform drone deliveries beyond visual line of sight. And in September, Walmart started its second drone delivery pilot program. 

While companies grapple with the technological challenges of drone delivery, a question must be considered: How should states and local areas prepare for this type of groundbreaking service?

THE STATUS QUO

The question above becomes complicated once one considers the current regulatory framework at play. As of now, the FAA calls most of the shots when it comes to drones, even if a citizen might expect local authority. 

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Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash