FAA Slows Pace of UAV Integration

Stephen Pope

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has indefinitely postponed the selection of U.S. test sites for unmanned aircraft (UAVs), citing safety concerns and privacy issues.
This decision effectively halts efforts to integrate UAVs into civil airspace and has drawn criticism from Congress members who dispute the FAA's mandate on privacy and see the delay as unacceptable.
Despite the delay, the FAA affirms its statutory obligation to integrate UAVs into national airspace but insists on a thoughtful approach that ensures safety, addresses privacy, and promotes 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.