AMAZON partners with British government to test drones in the country

Amazon has partnered with the British government to significantly expand drone testing, a move that could allow the devices to deliver packages to British homes far earlier than in the United States.

Under the partnership, Britain’s aviation regulator will let Amazon test several aspects of drone technology — such as piloting the machines beyond the line of sight of its operators — that the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States has not permitted. The tests, which are an important sign of confidence in Britain after its historic vote last month to leave the European Union, are to begin immediately.

“The U.K. is a leader in enabling drone innovation,” Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president of global innovation policy and communications, said in a statement. “This announcement strengthens our partnership with the U.K. and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the U.K. and elsewhere around the world.”

The move puts pressure on the F.A.A., which had recently rebuffed requests by Amazon, Google and other drone makers to advance their delivery plans. The tech behemoths and other drone makers have aggressively lobbied the F.A.A. to authorize the devices to significantly reduce costs to transport goods by airplane, freight and trucks.

Amazon said it hoped success with the drone trials in Britain would encourage more hesitant regulators in the United States and elsewhere to loosen restrictions. The trials will “help identify what operating rules and safety regulations will be needed to help move the drone industry forward,” the company said in a statement.

Amazon will work with British regulators to test drones that fly beyond the line of sight of operators in rural and suburban areas. It will also test whether a single operator can safely command multiple drones at once, as well as technology that lets the machines automatically detect and avoid other planes, buildings and people.Amazon’s plan to use drone delivery will rely on those functions, a vision first described by the e-commerce company’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, on CBS’s “60 Minutes” in December 2013.

Mr. Bezos has since pointed to regulation as the biggest obstacle to the delivery of small packages by drones. The Seattle company has grown increasingly frustrated with the F.A.A.’s cautious approach to its plans. Mr. Misener said in a Senate hearing in March 2015 that by the time regulators approved limited testing for certain Amazon drone models, those machines were already obsolete.

Amazon has since moved more research and development of its drones to Britain, Canada and the Netherlands; the company views its partnership with Britain as its most advanced. The Civil Aviation Authority — the British equivalent of the F.A.A. — said it may also enter into similar partnerships with other commercial drone makers.

“We want to enable the innovation that arises from the development of drone technology by safely integrating drones into the overall aviation system,” said Tim Johnson, policy director of the Civil Aviation Authority. “These tests by Amazon will help inform our policy and future approach.”

United States regulators have been reluctant to permit drone delivery because of safety concerns. Amazon wants to be able to fly its drones at night and miles beyond the sight of operators. The company said it has developed “sense and avoid” technology to prevent collisions, which it has not been able to broadly test in the United States.

Amazon said it does not plan to decrease its drone investments in the United States and will continue to push for F.A.A. approval. Aviation analysts predict the United States will eventually permit drone delivery, but not in the next year or two.

“The concern is that companies will significantly shift their drone testing or implementation programs to other countries,” said Michael Sievers, co-chairman of the Unmanned Systems Group at Hunton & Williams, a law firm based in Richmond, Va. “This is more likely the case for near-term testing, but even then the effect is likely limited, as there is a cost to such relocations.”