FAA

As part of its effort to stop drones flying too close to airports, the US government is trialing a defense system that scans the area for unmanned aircraft before using radio beams to stop them in their tracks.​​

Looking to avert gridlock at altitude, NASA has been working on an air traffic management system for drones, and today is carrying out its first coordinated testing to see just how well it can accomodate flights at different locations across the country.

Following the launch of a mandatory drone registry last year, the US government is now exploring new technologies to detect drones flying too close to airports.

To prevent a drone-related disaster, and perhaps an act of goodwill in light of the FAA's tightening rules around unmanned flight, DJI has started rolling out a new geofencing system designed to block its aircraft venturing into restricted airspace. ​​

Since launching its mandatory registry on Monday, some 45,000 drones have already been logged with the FAA's online database, which is now undergoing temporary maintenance to deal with an anticipated Christmas Day rush.

After first flagging its intentions in October, the Federal Aviation Administration has today announced its drone database which requires owners of small unmanned aircraft to register their vehicles or face very steep penalties, which could include time in prison.

The USDoT Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today that Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in the United States will soon be subject to federal registration. A task force will be established to provide recommendations on how to best implement a registration process.

The Federal Aviation Administration has teamed up with private firm CACI to test out technology that detects drones and their pilots buzzing around airports, in hope of preventing potential collisions with manned aircraft. ​

To help dispel confusion surrounding drone flights, the US FAA is beta testing its B4UFLY smartphone app, which tells users about any restrictions on unmanned aircraft they might want to fly in a particular area.

In further evidence of the growing popularity of drones for commercial purposes, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) this week revealed it has granted more than 1,000 exemptions to existing drone laws.

In the rural area of Wise County, Virginia, Startup Flirtey has teamed up with NASA to conduct the first government approved exercise to deliver medical supplies by drone.

Amazon's ambitious plans to deliver small parcels by drones just took another little jump towards reality, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launching a new program to study the use of drones beyond the operator's line of sight.