Becomes The First Airport In The Country To Gain The Authorization

The FAA has granted special approval for first responders to fly their drones in airspace over Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (KDFW) as well as inside the terminals. The authorization is the first granted by the FAA for such operations.

Drone DJ reports that Garret Bryl of the North Texas USA Response Team said in an interview with television station WFAA that public safety officials at the airport can use the aircraft not only to identify potential threats on the airport grounds, but also scan inside the terminal for potential suspicious packages or other potentially dangerous items.

The FAA reportedly granted the authorization in late February with the condition that the UAVs fly below 50 feet and the operators stay in constant contact with the control tower. Bryl said that airport police and fire officials want to be able to use UAVs to their advantage, and the authorization may pave the way for such authorizations at other airports.

The authorization is effective immediately, but it was not reported how many or what type of drones will be used at the airport.

The authorization does not extend to any other drone operators.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report