UPS becomes first company to receive FAA approval for widespread drone deliveries

In a move that brings us one step closer to drones dropping packages at our doorsteps, the U.S. government granted UPS approval to run a drone airline.

UPS announced Tuesday that UPS Flight Forward, their drone-centric subsidiary, is the first company to receive the specific certification from the Federal Aviation Administration needed for package transport.

The certification allows UPS to fly an unlimited number of drones and carry cargo exceeding 55 pounds. The delivery company has been testing drone delivery at a hospital in North Carolina, but with the new certification, hopes to expand both within the health-care realm and work toward serving other industries, according to UPS.

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But the company won't be sending packages whizzing around the country just yet — UPS still needs FAA permission to fly a drone beyond an operator's visual line of sight, reports Wired. The company got a temporary green light to do that last week and tested it out with the first revenue-generating drone delivery beyond the visual line of sight at the hospital in North Carolina.

The aviation milestone doesn't mean you should expect your mail courier to disappear anytime soon. UPS CEO David Abney told CNBC that while there are opportunities to deliver to residential areas, for now this will merely "help supplement the incredible group of drivers we have all over the world."