Biden administration’s drone solution? A commission on ‘congestion’

All the while, concerns about the mystery sightings have continued to proliferate on social media and in news reports, including among law enforcement and elected officials, in what has become a burgeoning public relations fiasco for the waning Biden administration. Kirby offered the blue-ribbon panel option on Monday, saying that when Congress returns in January the White House will “be calling on them to put in place a bipartisan to examine congestion in the skies and to help set appropriate rules to address the public’s concerns.” But when asked for more details on what the commission would examine, a National Security Council spokesperson referred questions to the Federal Aviation Administration. In a call with reporters on Tuesday, a senior FAA official, granted anonymity to discuss the issue, referred questions back to the NSC after stating that the agency is “clearly committed to safely integrating drones into the.” Of course, portions of America’s skies, especially around major metropolitan areas like New York City, are indeed congested. Bailey Wood, a spokesperson for Vertical Aviation International, a trade group that represents helicopter operators among others, said though air traffic control isn’t responsible for directing flights below 400 feet, that doesn’t mean the area is “free of complexity.” “The increasing presence of drones highlights the critical importance of emphasizing safe operations in this already congested airspace. Waiting in the wings is a rule that would also dictate how drones should behave and where they can fly without visual observers for longer distances — which the industry has wanted for years to hasten how drones could be used across the U.S.. “We don’t need to study this further,” the executive added, saying that the beyond-visual-line-of-sight rule needs to “move forward.” “If drone operations were normalized, we wouldn’t be having this conversation about New Jersey,” the executive said.