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Stakeholders Commend Drone, AAM Measures in FAA Reauthorization Bill

With the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 in the U.S. House of Representatives this week, the bill is a signature away from becoming law.

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 04:48 PM ET

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 in a vote on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. [Courtesy: USGS]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 has passed Congress and awaits presidential signature, reauthorizing the FAA for five years and widely celebrated by aviation stakeholders for bringing stability and advancing technology.
The act mandates the FAA to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations within four months, a crucial step for expanding commercial drone use cases.
It requires the FAA to publish a final special rule for powered-lift aircraft (e.g., eVTOL air taxis) within seven months and expands research into the safe integration of new aircraft types and supporting infrastructure like vertiports and airport electrification.

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After what has been months and felt like years, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 looks like it will finally be enacted into law, and drone, advanced air mobility (AAM), and other industry stakeholders are rejoicing.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the legislation with a 387-26 vote after the Senate approved it last week, meaning the only thing standing in the way of the bill becoming law is a signature from President Joe Biden. The bill would reauthorize the FAA for the next five years.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.