Amazon's Dream of Drones Delivering Packages to Your Door Gets Boost in Aviation Bill

Amazon.com Inc.'s bid to deliver goods via drone directly to a consumer's doorstep would get a boost under aviation legislation proposed Thursday.The bipartisan Senate legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration directs the Department of Transportation to create a carrier certificate allowing for package deliveries by drones, according to a summary. That provision is one of several in the bill aimed at boosting regulatory approval and oversight for drones.Companies including Amazon and Google parent Alphabet Inc. are racing to develop drones capable of delivering parcels to customers in spite of restrictions on where drones can fly. Amazon in December made its first-ever drone delivery -- a television streaming device and a bag of popcorn -- to a customer in the U.K., where the company is testing drone deliveries in part because of the strict U.S. regulations.The FAA measure, unveiled by the top Democrats and Republicans that oversee airline policy, also includes restrictions on airlines bumping passengers from flights after they have boarded. It would also keep air-traffic control within the FAA, putting it at odds with a U.S. House proposal to transfer the operations to a private, nonprofit entity.  Continue reading...