Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta said the Obama administration will soon announce proposed regulations for the commercial use of unmanned flying drones, a move expected to bring some clarity to a fast-growing industry.
“Later on this year, we expect to solicit comments on a rule for small unmanned aircraft, those that are under 55 pounds,” Huerta told ABC News on Sunday.
Huerta declined to give any specifics on what the proposed policy would be, stating only that the administration was “still in that process.” However, he did say that the rule would cover “the full scope” of activities including “the certification of the aircraft, the qualifications of the operator and the sorts of uses” for it.
The FAA has been under pressure to produce a set of clear regulations for remotely operated aircraft. Currently, non-commercial uses are basically unregulated while commercial ones are prohibited unless the operator has special permission from the FAA, which is granted on a largely ad hoc, case-by-case basis. There is considerable dispute over what constitutes commercial use, though.
The policy was originally meant to allow model airplane enthusiasts to enjoy their pastime, while keeping close tabs on other uses of drones. Commercial uses for drones have proliferated in recent years, though, as drones have grown in size and capability. The FAA has conceded the rules are outdated.
There are also serious safety concerns surrounding their use. Earlier this month, the FAA reported that there been 25 near-collisions since June 1 between piloted aircraft and remotely operated ones.
“The thing that I’m most concerned about is doing everything that we can to avoid conflicts between aircraft, whether they’re drones or whether they’re commercial airliners,” Huerta said.
