Global law firm Hogan Lovells advised nonprofit Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc. (NUAIR) in securing a new civil authority from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to advance the research, development, and commercialization of uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), or drone, operations.  NUAIR manages the FAA-designated New York UAS Test Site. The authorization grants authority for the Test Site and its qualified customers to operate drones weighing under 300 pounds throughout New York’s 50-mile drone corridor, and allows the site to be compensated for operations. The New York UAS Test Site is one of seven FAA-designated UAS test sites in the country and was determined to have the necessary infrastructure in place to support safe UAS operations under civil authority. Read more here.

The new authority, known as a “Charlie Waiver,” covers New York’s 50-mile beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS corridor connecting Griffiss and Syracuse Hancock International airports, opening the door for scalable, commercial operations.

Hogan Lovells most recently counseled NUAIR in securing the FAA’s authority to fly civilian drones BVLOS from Syracuse International Airport to Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY, without the need of visual observers. In announcing the new FAA approval, New York Governor Kathy Hochul also announced that the state would be providing NUAIR with an additional US$21 million in funding from the Central New York Rising Upstate Revitalization Initiative, formed to cultivate a world-leading UAS industry hub along the corridor in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley.

“Commercial drones have so many societal benefits – from enhancing national security, to promoting safety and efficiencies in the broader marketplace,” said Lisa Ellman, who leads the firm’s UAS practice. “Issuance of this new authority to the New York UAS Test Site not only bodes well for New York, but also helps accelerate the UAS and AAM industries as a whole.”

In addition to Ellman, Washington, D.C.-based senior associate Matthew Clark and counsel Patrick Rizzi also advised NUAIR. Hogan Lovells’ UAS team also includes Arjun Garg, Emily Kimball, and Allisa Newman.