U.S.-based online retailer Amazon has proposed that commercial drones be given a separate airspace zone.
This call is a step closer to fulfilling a drone delivery system for its customers, well over a year since Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos announced "Prime Air," the company's revolutionary proposal for a better means of sending packages to clients, Forbes reports.
The suggested zone would have the unmanned vehicles flying below normal planes at a height of 200 to 400ft (61 to 122m), and that the air traffic control would be handled by an automated computer system, BBC News reports.
"Amazon believes the safest and most efficient model for sUAS (small Unmanned Aerial Systems) with mixed equipage and capabilities is in segregated airspace with a defined structure for operations below 500 feet," said a written portion of the Amazon Prime Air presentation.
"The public and private sUAS industry should work together to realize this new concept of airspace operations if we are to bring the remarkable innovations of sUAS to bear in a safe and responsible way," according to Business Insider.
Other companies have been carrying out private trials for parcel delivery systems, including the Chinese retail giant Alibaba, Germany's DHL and Internet giant Google, BBC news adds.
It remains unclear if Amazon will immediately be ready with Prime Air as soon as the FAA reaches a ruling regarding the airspace, and if drone deliveries will be approved by the governing bodies.
