FAA Releases BVLOS Waiver Requests for Public Comment

Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, Zipline, and UPS Flight Forward are seeking relief from FAA restrictions.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 06:04 PM ET

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UPS Flight Forward and its Matternet M2 drone (pictured) is one of four firms seeking FAA exemptions. [Courtesy: UPS]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is currently reviewing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) exemption requests from Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, UPS Flight Forward, and Zipline, which would significantly expand their unmanned aircraft operations.
These requests cover a range of advanced drone activities, including aerial data acquisition, research and development for repeatable BVLOS solutions, package delivery using remote operations centers and surveillance, and the integration of acoustic detect-and-avoid systems to replace human observers.
The FAA has opened a public comment period until June 14 for both these specific exemption petitions and a broader proposed BVLOS rule, and is likely to approve the exemptions to gather data for future regulations.

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Earlier this week, the FAA announced it’s eyeing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) exemption approvals for four top aviation firms, opening the door to expanded unmanned operations. Now we know exactly what permissions they’re asking for.

On Thursday, the FAA published the requests of the four companies—Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, UPS Flight Forward, and Zipline—and is seeking comments from the public. Stakeholders have until June 14 to share their suggestions or concerns with the requests.