Drone operators will soon be under the purview of ISO’s global standards, a set of regulatory frameworks that the drone operators worldwide would have to adhere to. The argument being that encapsulated in a reasonable framework, the drone industry would continue to flourish and serve its purpose in a safe manner.
The Procedure
The first draft for a uniform set of global standards focused on aerial drones has already been released by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Furthermore, in accordance with ISO’s procedures, the committee for unmanned aircraft systems has sought public advice and suggestions. The committee remains open to the word of the general public until the 21st of January 2019.
The current draft is the first one, which would subsequently be followed by three more. These subsequent drafts would focus on technical specifications, manufacturing standards, and traffic regulation. Drone owners would soon have to follow this regulatory framework and would be held accountable for the breach of the same.
Need for Global Set of Standards
The first draft entails safety measures, which can bring down the potential for aircraft hazards. These measures include ‘No flying zones’ and geo-fencing, which can help regulate and restrict the movement of drones around sensitive areas. Further, it also regulated drone operators with regard to privacy and data security of third parties.
Alastair Muir, the Safety Director at National Air Traffic Services (NATS), a regulatory body that regulates air traffic in the UK has reportedly stated that currently, almost half of the air traffic concerns arise due to drones. He further added that the aircraft industry required more advanced technology to counter the issues caused due to these unmanned aircraft systems.
Since its inception, the drone industry has remained one of the most controversial, primarily because it is unmanned and its operations could overlap with that of manned aircraft, and cause damage and potentially injury. Therefore, a sheer need arose for some stringent regulations to be framed in order to govern this industry.
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