FAA will recommend legal framework for small drones by April 1
The Federal Aviation Administration will recommend regulatory framework covering drone pilots by April 1, extending the regulatory body's reach over the consumer and business technology that is quickly growing in popularity.
The FAA said a new committee will develop recommendations so that drones can be operated over people safely and determine how drone makers can comply with the requirements.
Reuters reports the FAA has been under pressure from Congress and the industry to accommodate commercial drones.
Parties involved are looking for a clear set of rules to start involving drones in their business. The FAA committee won't be ruling on future drone delivery services from Amazon and Google, but on smaller drones that are used for farming, real estate, and by engineers for surveying.
"We recognize the significant industry interest in expanding commercial access to the National Airspace System. The short deadline reinforces our commitment to a flexible regulatory approach," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told Reuters in a statement.
The FAA began requiring drone owners to register their drones at the end of 2015. Costing $5, the registration requires all aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) to be put within the FAA's database.
"Unmanned aircraft have fundamentally changed the accuracy of utility and oil and gas inspections," a research report from RnR Market Research said last year. "They are set to fundamentally change how agriculture is conducted. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) markets at $609 million in 2014 are forecast to reach $4.8 billion dollars, worldwide by 2021."