The Federal Aviation Administration is reported to be significantly behind schedule when it comes to approving commercial drone flights by their September 2015 deadline.
Some of the hangups revolve around developing standards by which drones would detect and avoid other aircraft, determining regulatory requirements and finalizing drone management rules from air traffic procedures to safety risks.
An FAA spokesperson says in a statement, “As the DOT IG reports, the FAA has faced many challenges to safely integrate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the nation’s airspace, but the agency has made significant progress toward that goal, even as it dealt with disruptions due to sequestration and a three-week government shutdown.”
Furthermore, the report reads, “Until FAA is successful in establishing these standards and adhering to a comprehensive integration plan with other public and private stakeholders, it will remain unclear when, and if, FAA can meet its goals to safely integrate [unmanned aerial systems].”
It looks as though the immediate future for commercial drone use is literally up in the air!
