Photo: Zipline

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized commercial UAV flights without visual observers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, marking a significant milestone in U.S. aviation. This authorization has been granted to Zipline International and Wing Aviation, enabling them to conduct package delivery operations using UAVs while sharing airspace with conventional aircraft.

The UAVs remain separated from manned aircraft using unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) technology, with rigorous FAA safety oversight. UTM services allow companies to share data and planned flight routes with other authorized airspace users, offering safe organization and management of UAV flights in shared airspace. All flights occur below 400 ft altitude and away from any crewed aircraft. The FAA expects initial flights using UTM services to begin in August 2024.

Typically, UAV operators must maintain visual line of sight with their aircraft. However, advancements in air traffic technology are paving the way for routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights. This authorization is the first time the FAA has recognized a third party to safely manage drone-to-drone interactions, a significant step towards integrating UAVs into the National Airspace System.

The FAA is working on the Normalizing UAV BVLOS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which aims to enable UAV operators to expand operations while maintaining high safety standards. The NPRM is expected to be released this year, following strong Congressional support in the recent FAA reauthorization.