Google’s parent company Alphabet releases free air-traffic control software for drone owners

Alphabet’s drone-delivery venture, Wing, is releasing free software for US drone users to get permission to fly near sensitive areas such as airports.

The entry of Wing, which is using its corporate cousin Google’s mapping expertise, instantly makes it one of the more significant players in the burgeoning arena of tracking unpiloted aircraft. Starting Tuesday, Wing’s OpenSky application will be available on Google Play and Apple Inc.’s App Store.

While Wing’s vision of creating a massive drone delivery network is still years away, the new application is a stepping stone toward that goal, which requires well organized traffic patterns and widespread civilian compliance.