The comments period closed on April 24, 2015, for the Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed drone framework and regulations, and there were over 4,400 comments submitted. Among those opposed to the limited scope of the proposed drone framework, Amazon.com Inc. (Amazon) said that the regulations were “overly prescriptive” and that the FAA should take a performance-based approach rather than establishing regulations that will most likely be based on outdated technology. We posted last week about the FAA’s approval of Amazons’ Prime Air delivery service drone testing; however, Amazon seeks to have one single operator fly its automated drones 10 miles or more, carrying packages weighing up to 5 lbs. However, Amazon’s business model doesn’t fit into the FAA’s strict guidelines, which prohibit the use of multiple drones by one operator, beyond the sight of the one operator. Amazon is concerned that by the time the FAA’s final regulations go into effect, technology will have advanced beyond the regulations scope. Amazon said in its comments, “Amazon is encouraged by the FAA’s general preference to adopt a performance-based approach to regulating small [drone] operations. However, to truly embrace and embody performance-based regulation that creates a framework for small [drone] innovation to flourish, the proposed rule needs to be modified.” We will watch closely as the FAA reviews all of the comments it received and responds with an updated rule that will both protect consumer privacy and permit advancing technology to flourish.
