FAA Sheds Light On Drone Regulation With Updated Fact Sheet

In a move that ends years of ambiguity, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has unveiled new guidelines on the regulation of drones at federal, state, and local levels. This recent development emerged almost a decade after the agency’s last significant update on the subject.

The Heart of the Update

On July 14, 2023, the FAA’s Office of the Chief Counsel released a revised Fact Sheet, which serves as a successor to its 2015 predecessor. This document delves deep into the rights of federal and local authorities regarding the regulation of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS, or drones).

The FAA stated, “Congress has long vested the FAA with broad and exclusive Legal authority to regulate airspace use, management, safety, and more.” The 2012 Congress directive called on the FAA to weave drones seamlessly into the national airspace fabric. Given the rapid rise of Drone Technology and its diverse applications, local bodies began questioning their role in its…