FAA UPDATES COUNTER-DRONE GUIDANCE FOR U.S. AIRPORTS
June 7, 2019
On May 7, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Airports Safety and Standards released up-to-date guidance on the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) detection or prevention systems near commercial airports. Such systems are referred to as counter-UAS, or C-UAS for short, and may be further categorized as “detection” or “countermeasure” systems depending on their capabilities. The FAA stated that security staff might consider the use of “detection” C-UAS that can spot and track drones, but that they should not at this time use active “countermeasure” systems that could jam or destroy drones. Any airport seeking to deploy a “detection” C-UAS system must work closely with the FAA, other federal government agencies, and local government partners to ensure safe operations. The U.S. government is continuing to develop more comprehensive policies for UAS security around airports, and it continues to study the appropriate role of C-UAS technology in the airspace system.
The FAA’s update came in response to high-profile air traffic interruptions at UK’s Gatwick Airport in late 2018 and at Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey earlier this year. In both cases, unidentified UAS flying near runways caused significant delays to air service, and officials struggled to locate the responsible drone operators. While the FAA recognized that this problem is likely to recur and requires better solutions, it observed that existing C-UAS technology may present aeronautical safety problems by its physical presence near flight operations or by difficult-to-predict interactions with the complex radio frequency environment of an airport. Therefore, high-risk “countermeasure” technology is discouraged, and airports are encouraged to move cautiously and involve all relevant government entities in any UAS detection planning.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
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