The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently said it is issuing long-awaited rulesthat permit small drones to fly at night and over people. Drones, a kind of small aircraft, fly without a pilot.The FAA's move is an important step toward the use of drones for large numbers of business deliveries in the United States.The FAA is also requiring identification of most drones for security and safety reasons.FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement that the new rules "get us closer to the day when we will more routinely see drone operations such as the delivery of packages."Packages are boxes or large envelopes that are sent or delivered.Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, companies have raced to create drone fleets to speed deliveries.Delivery companies like UPS and Amazon have been investing in the technology for years.Both companies have seen growing profits during the coronavirus pandemic as more Americans turn to home delivery for many products, including groceries.