The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday named a dozen new members to its Drone Advisory Committee, including officials from Amazon and American Airlines.
The private-sector panel meets regularly to advise the Federal Aviation Administration on how to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace alongside with traditional aircraft. Executive-level representatives are selected from a wide range of stakeholders including the aviation industry, research and academia, retail, technology, and state and local government.
The new members include Molly Wilkinson, vice president of regulatory affairs at American Airlines (NASDQ: AAL), and David Carbon, vice president and general manager of Amazon Prime Air, which is working to fully commercialize home package delivery by drones. Amazon (NASDQ: AMZN) is operating under a special license that allows it to operate drones beyond the sight of the flight controller.
“As the UAS industry continues to evolve, it is important to have DAC members who mirror the many facets of this fast-growing industry. We know the members will help the FAA ensure the highest level of safety while keeping pace with the new and innovative technology for UAS,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in a statement.
The Drone Advisory Committee is chartered to have up to 35 members. The new members will serve a two-year term and join Chairman Michael Chasen, chairman of the advisory board for PrecisionHawk USA Inc. More vacancies may be filled in the future.
The committee last met on Oct. 22.
Last week the FAA issued draft final rules that will require drones to have transponders allowing them to be remotely identified and allowing drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions.
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