Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the idea in an interview with "60 Minutes" on Sunday. With Amazon Prime Air, customers could see deliveries in as little as 30 minutes.
Bezos said the drones can carry packages weighing up to five pounds, which cover about 86 percent of Amazon's deliveries.
He also said the generation of drones being tested in its research and development labs now has a range of about 10 miles, which could cover a significant portion of urban populations.
Amazon's drones would receive a set of GPS coordinates and automatically fly to them, presumably avoiding buildings, power lines and other obstacles along the way.
The FAA's approval is still needed to help get Amazon Prime Air off the ground. Amazon spokeswoman Mary Osako said the company has been in contact with the FAA "as they are actively working on necessary regulation."
Drone delivery faces several legal and technology obstacles but the CEO said he thinks the idea could become a reality in the next four to five years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
