Dive Brief:

• In a memo written last week, the Federal Aviation Agency released proposed rules that ban the use of commercial “model aircraft,” or drones.

• The FAA has consistently attempted to ban commercial drones but has been thwarted in court. It’s not clear yet whether its latest set of rules would pass muster.

• The rules, which are now open for comment, would clearly make Amazon’s (or anyone’s) proposed delivery by drones unlawful. In fact, the FAA seemed to take pains to make it clear that these rules would also apply to Amazon Prime members: "If an individual offers free shipping in association with a purchase or other offer, FAA would construe the shipping to be in furtherance of a business purpose, and thus, the operation would not fall within the statutory requirement of recreation or hobby purpose.”

Dive Insight:

The FAA’s proposed rules certainly flout Amazon’s hopes for drone delivery, but they're hardly a surprise. There’s always a chance that by the time Amazon — or any retailer or shipper — is actually really ready to employ drones, the FAA’s stance will change. The truth is, today’s consumers aren’t exactly clamoring for shipping that fast. Most retailers’ efforts are best spent elsewhere, and that includes Amazon.