The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking to onboard new app developers that can help the government agency to provide Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) services to drone operators. The FAA will open the application period for the same on May 2, 2022.
What is LAANC?
LAANC is a collaboration between the FAA and the drone industry that enables the safe integration of drones into the US airspace. LAANC provides:
- Drone pilots with access to controlled airspace at or below 400 feet
- Awareness of where pilots can and cannot fly
- Air Traffic Professionals with visibility into where and when drones are operating
FAA approved UAS Service Suppliers for LAANC relay airspace information to the end users through desktop applications and mobile apps. But it’s worth highlighting that LAANC does not provide these Service Suppliers any authority to regulate the airspace or grant access without the FAA’s approval.
Nevertheless, LAANC is a system with many takers. Since its launch in 2017, the system has come to cover 542 air traffic facilities serving approximately 735 airports. In February, the FAA issued its millionth airspace authorization through LAANC.
And now, as drone use continues to increase, FAA is looking for more LAANC partners. Interestingly, the agency is announcing the application date more than two months in advance. And that’s because it wants to help the applicants prepare. “They must have a mature product at the time of application,” the FAA insists.
The schedule is as follows:
Application Period: May 2 – June 3, 2022
FAA Submission Review: June 6 – July 8, 2022
Technical Interviews: July 11 – August 12, 2022
Formal Onboarding: August 18 – October 14, 2022
More information on requirements and the onboarding process can be found on FAA.gov.
Read more: 2022 FAA Drone Symposium announced for April 28
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