Google parent company gets the go-ahead to start testing delivery drones in the US (GOOG, GOOGL)

Google

The Federal Aviation Administration just gave Google parent company Alphabet the greenlight to test its delivery drones in designated areas. 

The company launched Project Wing several years back with the vision that its drones will be able to deliver packages faster than ordinary methods, while cutting down on pollution. 

The company had technically already been side-stepping FAA regulation by flying the drones over private land thanks to a deal with NASA, but these new approvals are a big step forward. 

In a White House fact sheet, the FAA says that Project Wing can conduct an operational research study at one of the six FAA UAS Test Sites, flying its drones under 400 feet, while developing an airspace management system.

The announcement, which was part of a broader announcement involving government efforts to support the drone industry, did not say where Project Wing will be testing, thought the six test sites are in Alaska, Nevada, Texas, New York, Virginia, and North Dakota. 

The new permissions come not long after Amazon announced that it had a partnership with the British government to start testing its drones there while the FAA dragged its feet. Both Amazon and Alphabet aim to launch their drones in 2017. 

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