The speed and efficiency of its automated Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorization system has permitted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue its millionth permit to drone pilots in record time.
The FAA said it had passed the milestone this month, less than four years after it launched LAANC to automate the process of issuing drone pilots permission to fly in restricted airspaces or in controlled circumstances. The app-based system aims to integrate UAVs into the broader world of aerial activity through an automatic link-up between the FAA, controllers, and pilots requesting LAANC flight authorization.
Under Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, UAV operators must obtain FAA approval to fly in restricted areas of air traffic control – a process that, when carried out manually, often took weeks or more. After automating that in 2018 with the launch of LAANC, drone pilots have been able to almost…
