Amazon faces hurdles in drone plans

E-tail giant's plans to deliver packages by drones could never get off the ground, reports say

Online retail behemoth Amazon is hoping to have drones delivering orders to customers from its warehouse floor in just half an hour.

In a recent TV appearance on the CBS TV's 60 Minutes show (see below), Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos unveiled the plans to use "octocopters" as part of a programme called "Amazon Prime Air".

But the programme faces challenges, according to a Sky News report, including blustery weather, power lines and trees, and in highly populated cities such as New York, high-rise buildings could also prove troublesome.

Should all these obstacles – along with air traffic control requirements and expectations – be overcome, Bezos claimed the services could be up and running within five years.