FAA Certifies Google's Wing Drone Delivery Company To Operate As An Airline

"The Federal Aviation Administration has certified Alphabet's Wing Aviation to operate as an airline, in a first for U.S. drone delivery companies. Wing, which began as a Google X project, has been testing its autonomous drones in southwest Virginia and elsewhere."

"'Air Carrier Certification means that we can begin a commercial service delivering goods from local businesses to homes in the United States,' Wing said in a statement posted to the Medium website."

"The company has touted many advantages of using unmanned drones to deliver packages, from reducing carbon emissions and road congestion to increasing connections between communities and local businesses."

"'This is an important step forward for the safe testing and integration of drones into our economy. Safety continues to be our Number One priority as this technology continues to develop and realize its full potential,' Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said in a statement from the agency."