U.S. Reps. Richard Hanna (R-NY) and John Katko (R-NY) said on Friday that a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) modernization and reauthorization bill would grow local economies through integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which are also referred to as drones.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Aviation Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, H.R. 4441, on Friday after debating for 9.5 hours and considering more than 100 amendments. U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), the chairman of the committee, introduced the bill.
The measure would create a non-profit corporation to oversee the country’s air traffic control system, streamline the FAA’s certification process, and address aviation safety and airport infrastructure. Additionally, the bill would take steps to integrate UAS into national airspace and to simplify the permitting process for commercial UAS use.
“The unmanned aerial systems industry has the potential to generate great economic growth in our region,” Katko, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said. “With one of six designated FAA test sites right in our backyard at Griffiss International Airport, this legislation takes significant strides to grow our region into a national research center as we work to integrate UAS into the national airspace. Moreover, this transformative legislation makes critical updates to ensure that our country’s aviation system is safe, modern and competitive for all who depend on it.”
Under the AIRR Act, the FAA would be directed to not group commercial and recreational UAS users into one category to make national airspace more accessible in low-risk conditions.
“Creating these test sites in the 2012 FAA bill is among my proudest legislative accomplishments,” Hanna, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said. “I am confident that Upstate New York, anchored by Griffiss Airport and the hub of advanced technology surrounding it, will emerge as the leading incubator for UAS innovation and integration as a result of the reauthorization and reforms included in the AIRR Act. I look forward to having a robust and open debate on the House floor in the coming weeks and getting this bill to the president’s desk.”
Lawrence Brinker, the executive director of the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR), applauded the work of Hanna and Katko.
“Their work to establish one of the six FAA Designated UAS test sites at Griffiss International Airport, and to strengthen the UAS test site program in this year’s FAA re-authorization, will insure Central New York remains at the forefront of the industry,” Brinker said.