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 requests for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operation exemptions from four companies: Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, UPS Flight Forward, and Zipline.
Each company seeks different BVLOS capabilities, ranging from aerial data acquisition and R&D for industry-wide use to commercial package delivery relying on remote operations or advanced detect-and-avoid systems.
These exemptions are likely to be approved, serving as a method for the FAA to gather data for a future comprehensive BVLOS rule, and are open for public comment alongside a proposed broader BVLOS rulemaking until June 14.

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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.