The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomed yesterday the introduction of a Notice of Proposed RuleMaking (NPRM), published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to allow low-flying Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), or drone operations to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions without waivers or exemptions.

In addition to removing the requirement for operational waivers or exemptions, the proposed Part 108: Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations would prescribe a new BVLOS rating for a remote pilot certificate. The new rule would also create operating rules for UAS cargo delivery for compensation or hire, and define a regulatory approval pathway for third-party services, to include UAS Traffic Management service suppliers.

The NPRM comes on the heels of two recent executive orders, which augment the FAA’s goal of achieving safe integration for next-generation UAS operations.

In Unleashing American Drone Dominance, the president directs the FAA to expand UAS use by enabling BVLOS operations for commercial and public safety missions. A separate but related executive order, Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty, focuses on mitigating risks to public safety and national security due to the increasing use of UAS in the national airspace system.

In the coming days, NBAA will provide further analysis and a means for industry to comment on the NPRM.