By David Shepardson
(Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Department is proposing new rules to speed deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, a key change needed to advance commercial uses like package deliveries.
“We are going to unleash American drone dominance,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Under current rules, operators need to get individual waivers or exemptions to use drones without visual line of sight. The department said eliminating those requirements “will significantly expand the use-case for drone technologies in areas like: manufacturing, farming, energy production, filmmaking, and the movement of products including lifesaving medications.”
The proposal includes new requirements for manufacturers, operators, and drone traffic-management services to keep drones safely separated from other drones and airplanes.
“It’s going to change the way that people and products move throughout our airspace… so you may change the way you get your Amazon package, you may get a Starbucks cup of coffee from a drone,” Duffy said.
“Industry needs this rule to make sure they can use this technology that’s going to allow them to do business more efficiently and effectively.”
Amazon resumed testing drone deliveries earlier this year at two locations in Texas and Arizona. Amazon has a goal of delivering 500 million packages annually by drone by the end of 2030.
Under the proposal, operations would occur at or below 400 feet above ground from pre-designated locations approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Operators would identify boundaries and approximate daily flights and takeoff, landing and loading areas and ensure procedures if communications with drones are lost.
Drones would yield to all manned aircraft broadcasting their position and not interfere with operations at airports.
The Transportation Security Administration would require flight coordinators and others to obtain security threat assessments and a fingerprint-based criminal history records check.
Lawmakers and many state officials have raised concerns about drones being used to target high-profile U.S. events like the FIFA World Cup.
Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International CEO Michael Robbins praised the risk-based proposal as “a critical step toward enabling drone operations that will enhance safety, transform commercial services, and strengthen public safety with drones as a force multiplier.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
