CNN is among three private sector businesses selected by the FAA to further test the safety and utility of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) better known as drones.
“Government has some the best and brightest minds in aviation, but we can’t operate in a vacuum,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “This is a big job, and we’ll get to our goal of safe, widespread UAS integration more quickly by leveraging the resources and expertise of the industry.”
The FAA is working with UAS manufacturer PrecisionHawk, BNSF Railroad and CNN. The FAA says CNN “will look at how UAS might be safely used for newsgathering in populated areas.”
CNN and the FAA have already been working together through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.