NUAIR has received a Letter of Acceptance from the FAA, paving the way for the implementation of its Surveillance-as-a-Service infrastructure.

In a statement, NUAIR explained that that it had completed the Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP), “a process by which FAA evaluates the safety mitigation value of a service, so that operators can receive safety credit for using that service when seeking waivers or exemptions.” Completion of the NTAP means that NUAIR’s “Surveillance-as-a-Service infrastructure is now open to serve as a foundation for integrated, prioritized, and deconflicted UAS operations.”

Commenting on the announcement, Ken Stewart, President & CEO of NUAIR, said that “This Letter of Acceptance represents a significant milestone, with the FAA formally recognizing NUAIR's advanced surveillance network as an approved safety solution for routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. Through this agreement, the FAA validates NUAIR's critical role in delivering the digital infrastructure and operational support essential for safe, scalable unmanned aircraft systems deployment, while streamlining the path forward for commercial drone enterprises.”

The ability to use this surveillance-as-a-service infrastructure could have important implications for the general public and for industry. For states, NUAIR said, “this is a critical step forward in safe and integrated airspace. With a comprehensive picture of your airspace, state agents, power companies, first responders, inspectors, cities, townships, and more have awareness of this lower level of airspace.”

For industry, NUAIR asserted, use of the surveillance-as-a-service infrastructure “represents an opportunity never before available in the United States.” The organization stated that, with this Letter of Acceptance from the FAA, “any commercial organization interested in using UAS need only use NUAIR’s infrastructure to access the pre-approved safety case.”

Source: NUAIR