The drone can only carry a certain size of box and it dumps packages from 12 feet in the air, further limiting the types of products it can transport. One other aspect that doesn't help Amazon's prospects is that folks who want to receive deliveries by drone need a backyard where packages can be dropped off - so apartment dwellers need not apply. The agency has given Wing, Flytrex and Zipline permission to fly over roadways - to date, Wing has carried out more than 300,000 deliveries. The report suggests the drone's mass could be causing concern among FAA officials. Amazon's drone, on the other hand, weighs around 80 pounds and can only carry a five-pound payload. That depot is on an industrial block, and the drones need to fly over at least one road before getting to any homes.Īmazon's drones are far heavier than ones operated by Wing, as well as Walmart’s partners Flytrex and Zipline. One of the plans the FAA agreed to, according to the report, was for Amazon employees to check no cars were passing on surrounding roads before drones left its Lockeford delivery facility. It has largely rejected Amazon's requests to loosen the limitations.

Although Amazon had touted its FAA certification, the agency imposed a string of restrictions, which hadn't been revealed until now.

The report suggests that Amazon has been hamstrung by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is said to be blocking drones from flying over roads or people unless the company gets permission on a case-by-case basis.

Phoenix amazon drone delivery