Unmanned Aerial Systems ("UAS") colloquially referred to as “drones”
continue to be a hot topic in commercial aviation. This year the NTSB upheld the FAA’s right to
regulate UAS for commercial purposes as aircraft in the National Airspace
System. Today, the industry learned that
the FAA issued waivers of operation of UAS for commercial purposes to seven new
companies. That brings the total to 11
companies properly authorized to conduct commercial UAS operations.
There are currently 167 applications pending with the FAA to
obtain waivers for authorized use of UAS in a multitude of different industries.
The initial approvals were all granted to companies involved in movie
production. The latest round of
approvals were granted to commercial operations ranging from aerial surveying, to
construction site monitoring, and oil rig flare stack inspections.
Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx outlined
policy going forward on this quickly developing segment of aviation as follows: “Unmanned aircraft offer a tremendous
opportunity to spur innovation and economic activity by enabling many
businesses to develop better products and services for their customers and the
American public. We [the FAA] want to
foster commercial uses of this exciting technology while taking a responsible
approach to the safety of America’s airspace."
As different businesses embrace the technology, it is clear
that companies who intend to remain competitive are acting now to obtain FAA approval in order to
utilize UAS to make their operations more efficient and poised for growth. If you are interested in submitting an
application to the FAA for commercial UAS approval, then contact Aviation
Attorney Ronnie Gipson at 415.692.6523 or by email at Gipson@higagipson.com.
