FAA Slows Pace of UAV Integration

Stephen Pope

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 07:45 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The FAA has indefinitely delayed the selection of six U.S. test sites for unmanned aircraft (UAVs), citing concerns over safety and privacy.
This decision effectively halts the push to integrate UAVs into civil airspace, despite a previous target of establishing sites by the end of 2012 and a legislative mandate for integration by 2015.
The delay has drawn criticism from members of Congress, particularly regarding the FAA's focus on privacy, which some argue falls outside the agency's traditional mandate.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta stated the agency must fulfill its obligations for UAV integration thoughtfully, balancing safety, privacy issues, and economic growth.

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Citing safety concerns and privacy issues, the FAA has delayed the selection of U.S. sites for the testing of unmanned aircraft, effectively putting the brakes on a push to integrate UAVs into civil airspace.

In a letter to Republican Congressman Howard McKeon of California, chairman of the House Unmanned Systems Caucus, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the establishment of six test sites for UAV for experimentation has been suspended indefinitely.