FAA Slows Pace of UAV Integration

Stephen Pope

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has indefinitely delayed selecting U.S. test sites for unmanned aircraft (UAVs), citing concerns over safety and privacy.
This suspension effectively halts the integration of UAVs into civil airspace, missing the original target of establishing six test sites by the end of 2012.
The delay has drawn criticism from members of Congress, who argue that privacy is outside the FAA's mandate and that the agency is using old excuses, despite legislative requirements for UAV integration by 2015.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.