June 9, 2023
The FAA has denied a request from NBAA, and other aviation associations, for an extension to the comment period for the recently published Docket No. FAA-2022-0921, UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and related Petitions for Exemption, retaining the original 20-day deadline.
“We are disappointed with what is undoubtedly an expedited comment period,” said Heidi Williams, NBAA’s senior director, air traffic services and infrastructure. “However, BVLOS is not new to the industry. We have been testing and exploring these operations safely in the National Airspace System for years and are confident these experiences will allow us to provide meaningful, effective feedback, even the short comment period.”
The related Petitions for Exemption include:
- FAA-2022-0921: Summary Notice No. -2022-42 Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received; uAvionix Corp.
- FAA-2020-0499; Summary Notice No. -2023-09 Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received; Zipline, Inc.
- FAA-2022-0124; Summary Notice No. -2023-19; Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received; Phoenix Air Unmanned, LLC.
- FAA-2019-0628; Summary Notice No. – 2023-06; Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received; UPS Flight Forward, Inc.
Read the full request for an extension.
Comments are due June 14, and the FAA requests commenters provide citations and copies of any relevant studies or reports on which the commenter relied, including cost data as well as any additional data which supports the comments.
“Real-life data is incredibly impactful in the rulemaking process,” Williams added. “We are working with our UAS members to develop effective, data-driven comments to help the agency draft reasonable rules and policies which allow for the continued and expanded safe integration of UAS BVLOS operations into the NAS.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.