DOT to ease line of sight restrictions on commercial drone flights

In a potential boost for the drone industry, the Department of Transportation is considering easing restrictions on commercial drone flights—rules that have long curbed innovation and limited the adoption of drone-based deliveries.

The changes would eliminate case-by-case approvals for long-range drone flights and allow more commercial drones to fly beyond an operator’s line of sight, giving companies like Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Amazon (AMZN), UPS (UPS), and FedEx (FDX) the flexibility to expand its delivery options. The application could also expand the use of drones in other industries including manufacturing, farming, energy production, and healthcare.

“Our new rule will reform outdated regulations that were holding innovators back while also enhancing safety in our skies,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, “and make the future of our aviation a reality, unleashing American drone dominance.”

The proposed rule – Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) – would eliminate requirements for BVLOS operation and expand the use-case for drone technologies.

“Package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, public safety, recreation, and flight testing are just some of the uses we expect to see as we enable these innovative technologies while maintaining the safety of our National Airspace System,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement on the DOT website.

Other than e-commerce players, relaxing rules regulating the drone industry would also benefit specialized drone delivery names including Alphabet’s (GOOG) Wing, Draganfly (DPRO), AeroVironment (AVAV), as well as privately-owned Zipline Technologies, Matternet, and Flytrex.