The FAA, which this spring began expediting authorizations for commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), has now topped 1,000 approvals. The agency received authority to grant the authorizations under Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. 

In March the agency began issuing blanket certificates of waiver or authorization (COA), permitting flights anywhere below 200 feet except in restricted airspace, near airports and certain congested areas. Previously operators applied for COAs for a block of airspace, a process the FAA said took up to 60 days to complete. In April the agency began expediting the COA process using “summary grants,” which are based on similar operations that were previously approved.

The approvals have covered aerial filming for motion picture production; precision agriculture; real estate photography; and inspection of power distribution towers/wiring and infrastructure. Precision agriculture is expected to be among the largest markets for UAS, representing up to $75.6 billion over the next 10 years, according to a 2013 study released by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.