Setback
Massachusetts' transportation department told Amazon it could not open a Prime Air drone pad in Westborough or elsewhere in the state without its certificate, and said Amazon had not applied.
A delay, pause or setback
What the source says
“told Amazon on Thursday, October 22, that it cannot open a Prime Air drone takeoff and landing area in Westborough, or anywhere else in Massachusetts, without a certificate of approval from MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division.”
What it means
Prime Air (MK30), from Amazon, is at stage 4 of 5 on our ladder: paying customers. A setback stays on the record next to the milestones; the stage moves down only when the rules say so.
Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.
More on Prime Air (MK30)
- Massachusetts' aviation regulator told Amazon it cannot open a drone takeoff and landing site anywhere in the state without a state certificate, and that Amazon had not yet applied for one.
- Amazon said Prime Air would start drone deliveries in Tallahassee, Florida, by mid-November, at a public showing of its MK30 drone; the building to house the drones was still under permit review.
- DroneXL reported that Amazon's hoped-for late-October start of Prime Air flights in Westborough, Massachusetts, had slipped, with a zoning appeal set for November 2 and a Planning Board hearing on November 10.
- Westborough, Massachusetts, voted 510 to 13 for a local rule banning commercial drone launch pads, aimed at Prime Air; it still needs state approval to take effect.
- Portland, Oregon's city council moved toward a possible pause on drone hubs, and Amazon's first meeting with city planners was cancelled.
- DroneXL reported that an Amazon MK30 drone set itself down beside a Baton Rouge road during storms, and another was found on a lawn in Waco; Amazon had not explained either landing.