Britain's aviation regulator has chosen six projects, including one by e-commerce giant Amazon, to test the use of drones in deliveries, inspection of infrastructure, and emergency services, it announced on Thursday.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had previously stated this year that it intended to allow more drone flights for such purposes. Currently, drone users in Britain are only allowed to fly beyond the visual line of sight as part of trials with strict limitations. As part of the trials announced by the CAA, selected projects will be able to operate their drones at distances beyond the pilot's visual range, employing advanced technologies for navigation, control, and to detect other aircraft.
The projects include Amazon's drone delivery service, known as Prime Air, Airspection for the inspection of offshore wind farms, and Project Lifeline, which aims to deliver medical supplies. The CAA stated that the trial would aid the regulator's ongoing efforts to develop policies and regulations so that drone flights can be 'fully integrated' with other airspace users.
'These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in integrating drones safely into UK airspace,' said CAA director Sophie O'Sullivan. 'Our goal is to make drone operations beyond visual line of sight a safe and everyday reality.'
Amazon announced in October last year that it was planning to start delivering packages via drones in Britain, Italy, and a third location in the United States.
