WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is considering giving permission to seven movie and television filming companies to use unmanned aircraft for aerial photography, which could lead to relaxation of its ban on the commercial use of drones.
To receive exemptions, the companies must show their drone operations won’t harm safety and would be in the public interest.
No commercial drone flights are permitted, with the lone exception of flights off Alaska’s coast over the Arctic Ocean by Conoco Philips, an oil company. The FAA has been under intense pressure to allow commercial drone flights and has been working for a decade on safety regulations, but has repeatedly delayed issuing any. The current timetable calls for releasing proposed regulations for operating small drones — less than 55 pounds — by November. It would take at least months, and possibly years, after that to make the regulations final.
The FAA says that rushing to gain the economic and other benefits of drones could put manned aircraft at risk.
Despite the ban, drones have already been used by the movie industry, real estate agents, beer makers, and journalists who have ignored the prohibition.