Drone regulations need uniformity

Drone technologies in the air cargo industry are increasingly under scrutiny from the regulatory bodies that govern them as drone functions evolve. The FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) each have their own standards regarding drone development as it relates to safety and operational functions. But as drone technologies advance and secure a space within the air cargo and aviation industry, these agencies need to create more uniform standards to further drone capabilities, panelists at Air Cargo Next ’s webinar, “The role of drones in the future of air cargo,” agreed today. “I think in terms of the two [agencies], we focus more on the Canadian markets ,” Steve Magirias , chief executive of technology-based drone developer Drone Delivery Canada , said during the webinar. “[Canada] does follow more the EASA regulations than it does the FAA regulations [and EASA seems] to provide more opportunities for drone operators. “But I think you’ll see the FAA also start to catch up and ideally [it would] be great if all the bodies follow the same rules and allowed operators to operate in a similar manner across all the geographic areas,” he added. Differences between uncrewed drones and those with pilots or operators on the ground challenge regulators developing drone policies and a definition of what a drone actually is, Aleksey Matyushev , co-founder and chief executive of blended-wing drone company Natilus, said. “Because of the size of our aircraft, we tailor directly into the, I would say, manned aviation space with certain regulatory [bodies],” he said. “I guess key differences as far as pilot safety and things like that don’t matter specifically, but we are tied to [a] ground control station and so we’re classified more as a ... manned aircraft with the caveat that we are unmanned.” From a regulatory standpoint, having the classification of a manned aircraft “allows larger operators and more operationally-driven companies ... to enter this space and validate operations that you can actually fly [drones],” Matyushev said. Despite differences in function and form, drone companies are still putting an aircraft in the air with all the risks that accompany them — and regulations need to reflect this, Kenneth Chircop , general manager of drone technology developer and airline Dronamics , said. “Aviation, since its inception, was built around safety,” he said. “So, safety is always the primary thing. It is the top priority. But ... there are other considerations to be taken." There are still key differences between manned and unmanned aircraft in terms of how each is regulated, he added. As drone technologies advance, the hope is that consumers can gain transparency and understanding of how they operate, what they are capable of providing and how they work in the aviation ecosystem, Magirias said. “Drones are better at conducting aerial inspections of infrastructure, monitoring environmental conditions and providing that real-time data for decision-making,” he said. “So, I think you’re going to see a convergence overall. And at some point, we’ll probably stop calling it manned and unmanned. It will just be aviation.”

Drone regulations need uniformity

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