The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should quickly implement key provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that will allow for scaled, safe beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations in United States airspace, say bipartisan members of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Aviation Subcommittee.
Led by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), the lawmakers also noted the importance of establishing a performance-based framework for BVLOS operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), according to an Oct. 18 letter they sent to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 became law May 16, with Section 930 directing the FAA to establish a performance-based framework for BVLOS operations of UAS. The section requires the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) within four months of enactment and a final rule within 20 months of enactment.
“The deadline to issue an NPRM has passed, and it is now our understanding that the proposed rule may not be issued until January 2025, at the earliest,” wrote Graves and his 18 colleagues. “It is concerning that the failure to comply with statutory instructions may also result in the delay of a final rule.”
Chairman Graves and the committee members pointed out that, although the FAA has provided waivers and exemptions for some BVLOS operations, the current process continues to stifle innovation with regulatory uncertainty and complexity, according to their letter.
“A final rule released in accordance with Section 930 will help unlock the full benefits of BVLOS operations across local communities and our national economy, including in the public safety, medical, logistics, and agricultural industries,” wrote the lawmakers.
“Furthermore,” they added, “a timely rulemaking will build on years of work by the FAA, the industry, conventional airspace users, and other stakeholders to ensure the necessary standards and processes are in place to safely foster advanced drone operations into United States skies.”