F.A.A. Allows U.P.S. to Deliver Medical Packages Using Drones

"The F.A.A. certification for U.P.S.’s drone airline comes at a time when the United States is making a push to remain at the forefront of unmanned aviation, the agency said. “This is a big step forward in safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems into our airspace,” said Elaine L. Chao, the United States secretary of transportation."

"Other countries have also begun drone deliveries of vital medical supplies. Zipline distributes blood in Rwanda using drones, and Swoop Aero delivers vaccines and other medical supplies in the Pacific. Drone deliveries have also proved to be economical for U.P.S. “Delivery by drone is cheaper than the cost of a person driving a car,” Mr. Price said."

"Amazon has been pushing to deliver packages to its millions of customers by drones for a while. In 2013 Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, said in a “60 Minutes” interview that he foresaw drone deliveries for Amazon. Three years later Mr. Bezos announced that Amazon had made its first drone delivery to a customer, in Cambridgeshire, England. As for U.P.S., customers in urban areas should not hold their breath for drone deliveries, Mr. Price said. “Use in urban areas,” he said, “is not clear”."