Senate legislators directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and US Department of Transportation to enact new rules to accelerate the development of drone delivery within US borders as part of a new FAA reauthorization bill, Bloomberg reports.
The bill directs the Department of Transportation to create a new certification for companies performing drone deliveries. Companies that receive the certificate would be able to operate drones for deliveries, though they would still be subject to other laws and regulations.
The bill authorizes the FAA to grant more exemptions for drone operations beyond pilots' lines of sight. In the US, drones cannot be flown out of the line of sight of the operator. This significantly curtails the potential benefits of drone delivery. If companies were able to bypass this rule, long-distance, unmanned drone deliveries would come much closer to reality in the country.
However, the bill directly conflicts with House legislation endorsed by President Donald Trump that advocated privatizing US air traffic control, which is currently operated by the FAA. In contrast, the Senate's proposed legislation would strengthen FAA oversight of drones and air traffic control.
The certification program and line-of-sight exemptions are a positive step toward drone delivery. However, a potential conflict over the FAA's mandate in regard to the US air traffic control system would likely complicate and delay drone delivery programs in the country. This could result in the US falling further behind in drone development, holding widespread drone delivery off for the near future.