The FAA delays new rules on unmanned drone flights.
The sight of unmanned drones overhead is becoming more commonplace, and has sparked concerns about privacy and aviation safety. But federal officials say that regulated drone use may have to wait until next spring.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had planned this week to announce rules restricting the use of drones, but the agency failed to meet its deadline and now says the rules will be out late in the spring of 2016, according to an NBC News story.
The FAA posted its proposed rules in February, but final rules have been delayed as the agency reviews 4,500 public comments. This week, a letter from industry groups to the FAA claimed that integrating drones into airspace with favorable regulations would promote creation of 100,000 jobs and boost the economy with $82 billion in drone-related spending.
The groups warned that slow progress by the FAA was leaving the U.S. drone industry behind other countries.
But an FAA spokesman reiterated the agency’s key focus on safety, stating that drones can be integrated
Currently drone operators are required to seek an agency exemption in order to legally fly their crafts in U.S. airspace. About 1,800 such exemptions have been granted, according to the FAA.
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