It’s been over a decade since Jeff Bezos introduced the concept of drone delivery on an episode of 60 Minutes & predicted that Amazon would get the green light from the FAA for aerial deliveries within five years. So, why are we still waiting? While drones have been making deliveries around the world for the past 10 years, it’s primarily limited to medical supplies & other emergencies. Now the winds may be shifting. In September 2023, the FAA issued a rule change, granting three drone firms clearance to make commercial deliveries without visual observers. Up to then, the FAA required delivery drones to be within eyesight of ground observers along a drone’s route. Package delivery firms are eager for drones to take flight, as the technology has the potential to drastically reduce costs of the “last mile.” This is where ground deliveries incur relatively expensive & labor-intensive costs, from wear & tear on vehicles & roadways, to increasing costs of fuel & people power. “Last mile” ground deliveries cost $16-$20 per delivery. Studies find that 90 percent of all packages delivered to neighborhoods sit on a shelf within five miles of a home, and with 90 percent weighing under the 10 pound drone transport limit, drones could deliver to the “last mile,” for under $3. Still, it remains to be seen if the cost savings of drone deliveries warrants the extensive adjustments the FAA would need to make to air traffic control systems, which are already taxed to the max.
