Blumenthal Statement on New FAA Drone Registration Requirements

(Hartford, CT) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, released the following statement today after the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) announced new requirements for drone registration. This announcement follows the release of a report last week identifying the increasing risks caused by drones in our skies, with hundreds of reported incidents and 241 near collisions between drones and manned aircrafts in the past two years.

“The FAA’s effort to register drones is a positive step for accountability and oversight, but much more needs to be done to address drone dangers. The FAA needs to combine today’s announcement with effective enforcement, holding anyone accountable who threatens air safety. Congress must act swiftly, empowering FAA even further with more authority, tools and resources to safeguard our skies from increasing dangers of these new devices, like requiring clear, enforceable operational restrictions that will keep these drones away from airports, manned aircraft, public areas and critical infrastructure. We must also require the installation of fail-safe technology in the manufacturing process, so it’s impossible for owners to misuse these powerful devices.

“The most recent two-year report of close calls – 241 near crashes between drones and manned aircraft – should intensify oversight efforts. Now it is a matter of when – not if – a collision ends in tragedy in the skies. We need an aggressive, robust response, and we need it now. As a member of the committee with jurisdiction of aviation issues, I'll be fighting to establish tough rules of the road in our ‎skies above.”

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