On July 16, Amazon presented a request of derogation to the FAA, through its subsidiary Amazon Prime Air, to carry out drone delivery in the USA. The aim is to operate the drone VTOL MK27 and perform deliveries in less than half an hour for the Amazon Prime clients. This aircraft is able to carry a 2.3 kg payload across more than 20 km.

To carry out these drone deliveries, the RPAS will need to be operated in out of sight flights, also know as Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVOLS) flights. To guarantee the security of these operations, Amazon took several measures. First, Amazon Prime Air’s RPASs will be integrated within UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) systems, enabling a safer cohabitation with the other aircraft. The MK27 will also include sense and avoid systems as well as communication systems to connect them to aerial control authorities. Moreover, the flight is fully automated. Every modification of the flight plan is subject to the current regulation. If the RPAS is asked to operate over a prohibited area or to conduct an action violating the regulatory, the system will automatically reject the modification of the trajectory.

If Amazon obtains the FAA authorization, the first deliveries will be initially operated over low density areas.