Rural British Columbia home to Amazon drone testing

Online shopping giant granted permission in December to operate test site for a year

Online shopping giant Amazon says it is testing its potential drone delivery system on Canadian soil.

Spokeswoman Kristen Kish said the Seattle-based retailer has set up a testing facility in rural British Columbia, declining to provide more specifics.


Kish said the B.C. site is one of several testing sites set up beyond U.S. borders in order to avoid running afoul of rigid rules put in place by the country’s Federal Aviation Authority.

Transport Canada said it granted permission for Amazon’s testing site in December of last year, adding the facility is currently allowed to operate for a full year.

Amazon has said it hopes to one day use drones to deliver small packages to its customers within 30 minutes of the time they place an order.

Transport Canada said the permission certificate issued to Amazon was one of nearly 1,700 such agreements reached last year.

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