Amazon’s new delivery drone cleared for takeoff

Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) new delivery drone, the MK30, has received regulatory approval to begin operations to customers and deployment has begun from facilities near its Same-Day Delivery site in Tolleson, Arizona.

The e-commerce giant said the new drone flies twice as far as its previous drones, is about 50% quieter to the human ear, and is built to fly in rainy weather.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the MK30 includes permission to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight from the first day of operation.

“This is an historic, first-of-its-kind approval for a new drone system and a new operating location following a rigorous FAA evaluation of the safety of our systems and processes,” Amazon (AMZN) said in a statement.

“This approval allows us to start making Prime Air deliveries to customers in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona,” it added. “The MK30 drone has also started making deliveries in College Station, Texas.”