The US Court of Appeals in Washington has repealed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation that requires theregistration of commercial drones.
Came into force in 2015, the FAA regulation seeks to ensure safe operation of drones in US airspace.
The recent ruling was passed following an appeal made by drone hobbyist John Taylor, who acted as his own lawyer and argued that the FAA could not force hobbyists to register their drones, reported Bloomberg.
US circuit judge Brett Kavanaugh wrote in its opinion: “Taylor does not think that the FAA had the statutory authority to issue the registration rule and require him to register.”
However, the latest court ruling will not affect the FAA guidance on where the hobbyist can fly their drones.
Reacting to the court decision, the FAA said in a statement: “We are carefully reviewing the US Court of Appeals decision as it relates to drone registrations.
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By GlobalData“The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats.
“We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”
Since the implementation of the FAA regulation, around 759,000 hobbyists have registered their drones with the agency.
According to the FAA, 2.3 million drones are estimated to be sold this year for recreational purposes, while 2.5 million are designed for commercial operations.
