“ITIF commends the FAA for introducing its much anticipated rules that would open up more opportunities for businesses to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) — commonly referred to as drones — to cut costs and deliver innovative services. These rules allow low-risk commercial operations and create a process for the FAA to allow more advanced operations, like delivering packages, while still ensuring safety.
“However, the final order imposes different rules on commercial operations than hobbyists using the same technology, despite the fact that the level of risk is independent of whether the UAS operator receives compensation. A hobbyist taking a picture with a UAS presents no more of a risk than a professional photographer doing the same. It is incumbent on Congress to fix this issue and allow the FAA to enforce a technology-neutral common set of rules across all UAS users.
“Going forward, the FAA should continue to be firmly committed to bolstering U.S. competitiveness in UAS and to promoting commercial UAS activity. To achieve this, it should commit to rapidly developing rules that allow more advanced operations, such as flights over individuals, by embracing a flexible, risk-based approach to safety concerns.”
