NBAA Welcomes New Measures to Bolster U.S. Aerospace Leadership
/The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomes the recent introduction of several federal directives, which redouble government agencies’ focus on advancing U.S. aviation as the gold standard in aerospace for decades to come. Specifically, three Executive Orders (EOs) issued by the administration aim to foster the development and use of American UAS, support airspace safety and security and usher in a new era of supersonic flight.
The first EO, Unleashing American Drone Dominance, directs the FAA to expand UAS operations by enabling BVLOS operations for commercial and public safety missions. The Order, which complements the FAA’s new BVLOS proposal, also establishes an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) integration pilot program to accelerate U.S. eVTOL operations.
The second EO, Ensuring American Sovereignty Over its Skies, focuses on mitigating risks to public safety and national security due to the increasing use of UAS – commonly referred to as drones – in the national airspace system, including nefarious operations by criminals, terrorists, drug cartels and other hostile foreign actors. The Order authorizes federal agencies to use existing authorities to detect, track and identify drones and drone signals, and provides state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies access to grant programs for detection equipment.
A third EO, Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, directs the FAA to repeal the prohibition on overland flight exceeding the speed of sound and rescind other regulations that hinder supersonic flight. The Order also instructs the FAA to establish a standard for supersonic aircraft noise certification that considers community acceptability, economic reasonableness and technological feasibility.
“NBAA welcomes these announcements, which will accelerate innovation and unleash promising new capabilities,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Equally important, they will also enhance airspace safety, strengthen national security and ensure continued global leadership for an essential American industry.”