New York senator Chuck Schumer insisted that the federal government release rules pertaining to the use of unmanned drones in the wake of recent incidents involving drones at Westchester County Airport.
According to NBCNewYork.com, Schumer noted that the close calls involving drones and passenger planes highlight the danger of ineffective regulations. In one of the incidents, a drone invaded a jetliner's airspace as it was coming in to land.
The Democratic senator said the rules are "much needed."
"Federal bureaucracy has stood in the way of FAA drone rules to protect New York fliers' safety, and it's time for the OMB to review and approve the new drone regulations that the FAA has sent to their desk so that our airspace stays safe," Schumer said
"The lack of clear rules about small drones, what is a commercial versus a hobby drone, and how and where they can be used, is creating a serious threat to New Yorkers' safety. We cannot wait for a fatal crash or incident to get this done."
Currently, federal law prohibits drones from being operated at an altitude of more than 400 feet and requires operators to have permission before flying even within five miles of an airport.
However, it seems that many drone operators are unaware or simply ignoring the law.
After all, since 2009, the FAA has deemed 23 accidents and 236 incidents involving unmanned civilian drones "unsafe".
"It is our goal to get the proposal right," said the FAA in a statement regarding collaboration on a regulation.
New York City residents could potentially see changes in how unmanned drones are policed soon as a City Council bill restricting drones to public spaces and banning them from populated areas like airports has been proposed.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
