WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal officials say they are allowing operators to fly small drones over people and at night, potentially boosting commercial use of the machines.
Most drones need to be equipped so that they can be identified remotely by law enforcement officers.
The final rules announced Monday by the Federal Aviation Administration, “bring us closer to the day when we will see more frequent drone operations, such as the delivery of packages,” said Stephen Dickson, FAA administrator.
Drones are the fastest growing segment in all transportation, with more than 1.7 million under registration, according to the Department of Transportation.
However, the widespread commercial use of the machines has developed much more slowly than many advocates expected. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, once predicted that his company would use drones to deliver goods to customers’ doors within five years, but the prediction is already two years down..
Several tests have been done and limited uses. United Parcel Service said last year that it had received approval to operate a nationwide fleet of drones and has delivered hundreds of deliveries on a hospital campus in North Carolina.
Last year, Google’s sister company Wing Aviation also received FAA approval for commercial drone flights. in a corner of Virginia.
And this past August, Amazon received similar approval from the FAA deliver packages by drone. The company is still testing the service and has not yet said when buyers will see deliveries.
For drone supporters who are impatient with the pace of adoption, regulatory barriers are a major complaint. At the moment, operators who want to fly a drone over people or at night need a waiver from the FAA.
The new rules require drones used at night to contain flashing lights that can be seen up to three kilometers away. Operators need special training. Small drones flying over people cannot have rotating parts that can cut the skin.
The rules that cover flights over people and at night take effect in about two months. They are finalizing proposed rules issued last year.
All drones that must be registered with the FAA must have equipment that broadcasts their identification, location and control station or is operated in FAA-recognized areas. So-called remote ID was a requirement set by Congress at the urging of national security and law enforcement agencies.
Drone manufacturers will have 18 months to start making drones with remote IDs, and operators will have one year after that to start using drones with remote IDs.