(Bloomberg) — Drones would get the right-of-way over other aircraft in low altitude corridors established for long-distance deliveries and other commercial services, under a proposal that has been submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Permitting flights that are beyond the sight of an operator on the ground will require computerized anti-collision systems, new qualifications for drone pilots and revamped rules for flying within 400 feet (122 meters) of the ground, an advisory panel told the FAA in its 252-page final report.
The recommendations call for sweeping changes in FAA rules that now put the burden on pilots of hard-to-see drones to avoid other aircraft. They also call on the aviation agency to devise a new set of regulations to minimize the risks of long-range flights on aircraft with no humans aboard to avoid collisions.
“The industry is ready and willing to provide resources, technology, and expertise” to foster beyond-line-of-sight drone flights, the report said.
Multiple companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Wing LLC and United Parcel Service Inc. have gotten permission from the FAA to fly drones autonomously beyond the view of ground operators in controlled test settings, but there are no rules permitting such flights routinely.
Creating such regulations are key to permitting the kind of drone-based commerce envisioned by Wing, UPS, Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Air and others.
The FAA, which chartered the advisory committee, will now begin the process of drafting regulations based at least in part on the recommendations.
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