From the keynote stage at XPONENTIAL 2021 in Atlanta, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson said:

“Ideally, we’ll also have everyone’s trust—and maybe even consensus—as we move forward with …a new phase of airspace integration. And in the end, that’s what it’s all about—government and the UAS community—coming together to provide solutions that enable this fast-moving sector to continue delivering groundbreaking solutions for the public, and doing so safely.”
 

Finalized in January 2021, FAA’s Remote ID rule is an important step forward in this new phase of airspace integration. The rule ensures that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in flight provide critical identification and location information to law enforcement and other authorities.

The Remote ID rule unlocks new possibilities for UAS that benefit the public and businesses. By harmonizing the needs of commercial and law enforcement stakeholders, the rule supports scalable, secure, and sustainable commercial drone operations. It is absolutely fundamental to the future of the commercial UAS industry.

AUVSI supports the Remote ID rule and other regulations that prioritize safety and accountability, government-industry collaboration, and performance-based rulemaking. In addition to AUVSI’s support, the rule reflects years of input from FAA’s advisory committees, standards development organizations, and tens of thousands of public comments.

AUVSI recently filed an amicus brief in support of the Remote ID rule in the case of Tyler Brennan, et al v. Stephen Dickson, et al at the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit. In the brief, AUVSI noted that the Remote ID rule is widely support by industry, which participated in the rulemaking throughout the multi-step process, emphasizing that “the FAA’s Final Rule was thus the culmination of rulemaking efforts that began when the FAA chartered the aviation rulemaking committee pursuant to the Extension Act, and was supported by a robust record before the agency.”

Furthermore, AUVSI argued in its brief that “the Final Rule that Petitioners ask this Court to vacate is a critical step in a lengthy process at the FAA that has hewn closely to multiple Congressional mandates contained in several legislative acts. This proceeding was not, as Petitioners imply, a frolic and a detour by the FAA to invade personal privacy and impose unnecessary requirements. Instead, it was an effort to carry out a Congressional directive to adapt existing aviation paradigms to new users of the airspace through a careful rulemaking process. The Final Rule is necessary for the continued expansion of drone operations and the fulfillment of Congress’s vision of an integrated airspace that brings significant benefits to the American people.”

Read the full amicus brief here and learn more here about the work of AUVSI’s Air Advocacy Committee to support the integration of advanced UAS operations into the national airspace.