SAN FRANCISCO: Amazon announced Monday plans to test delivery drone technology in Britain, as the US online commerce giant tries to advance the idea safely.

The partnership aims to understand how drones can be used safely and reliably, and identify the regulations to put in place, it said in a statement.

Amazon got British approval for three new types of tests: flying drones that are no longer within sight of their operators in rural and suburban areas; having one person operate several highly automated drones; and testing devices to make the drones able to identify and avoid obstacles.

“Britain is a leader in enabling drone innovation; we’ve been investing in Prime Air research and development here for quite some time,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s Vice President of Global Innovation Policy and Communications.

“This announcement strengthens our partnership with the UK and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the UK and elsewhere around the world.” Last month, the US Federal Aviation Administration unveiled long-awaited new rules that clear the way for small, commercial drones to operate across US airspace.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2016