Amazon Prime Air

Is Amazon Prime Air the Future of Delivery?

by Nicole Nguyen 12/02/13 3 Reactions 69 Shares Print

For fist-on-table, need-it-now deliveries, Amazon is cooking up a new service straight out of science fiction. If the company gets a thumbs up from the Federal Aviation Administration, Amazon Prime Air will offer 30-minute delivery via drones.

Yes, drones — as in remote-controlled, unmanned airborne vehicles — flying products from the Amazon warehouse straight to your doorstep in about a half hour. It's like receiving a sponsored package as a tribute in The Hunger Games arena but in real life.

Because of FAA rules and regulations, the Amazon program is still a few years away from commercial implementation. This type of delivery system has raised many concerns. What's to stop someone from shooting down a drone and reaping someone else's Amazon deliveries for themselves? What about risk of collision with aircraft, power lines, or even wildlife?

But there are many benefits as well — the obvious one being not having to wait very long for packages. Airborne delivery will also be helpful for relief, in areas with damaged roads and infrastructure.

We want to know what you think: is Amazon Prime Air the future of delivery . . . or is it bound to fail? If it were implemented, would you opt to use delivery by drone?

For a better idea of how Amazon Prime Air works, watch a drone's test flight below.

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