FAA treads softly on commercial drone flights

The Federal Aviation Administration's reluctance to fine commercial companies flying drones illegally has led to speculation that it does not believe its stance has legal standing, according to a US website. Leglisation is due later this year to regulate commercial flights but until then, the FAA has ordered companies to apply for a Section 333 exemption if they want to operate drones for commerical purposes. US website Motherboard obtained information under the Freedom of Information Act which revealed only 24 cases penalties were issued to drone companies, none of which involved a failure to apply for a Section 333 exemption as the solo cause. Whilst the FAA has so far awarded 5292 waivers, a spokesperson said last year that the number of companies flying illegally was too big to track. Instead, the regulatory body fines drone companies and hobbyists for flying in a “careless or reckless” manner.