An offshoot of Alphabet Inc.’s Google has become the first drone operator to receive government approval as an airline, an important step that gives it the legal authority to begin dropping products to actual customers.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is ready to issue a new proposed rule that will allow more freedom for people operating drones, according to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

Analysts and executives are concerned that political reaction may hinder the rapid growth of the drone industry after travel was disrupted at London’s Gatwick Airport for nearly two days before police arrested two people in a nearby town.

Holly Springs, N.C., hopes to be among the first spots in the United States where drones are used for package delivery.

Drone programs can expand traffic management and bridge inspection opportunities for states, but they can also create savings to benefit other projects, according to one transportation official whose agency has been using the devices for nearly a year.

The millions of small civilian drones plying the nation’s skies can cause significant damage to airliners and business jets in a midair collision, new research commissioned by the Federal Aviation Administration concluded.

Mercedes-Benz, conducting the biggest test using drones to ship everyday items such as ground coffee and cellphones, said the mini-aircraft completed 100 drop-offs to strategically placed vans in Zurich with a perfect safety record, and more deliveries are planned for next year.

Amazon.com Inc.’s development of package-delivery drones is progressing to the point where the company is now thinking a lot about geese.

UPS Inc. completed a successful test of a truck-mounted delivery drone at a Florida blueberry farm last week, demonstrating how unmanned aerial devices might be used as part of the company’s residential delivery service and as a way to cut costs by reducing the number of miles traveled by UPS trucks to make deliveries in rural locations.