Commercial drone operators working near the U.S.-Mexico border still do not have a clear answer on whether they can obtain permission to fly under a newly imposed temporary flight restriction, according to an October 19 report by DRONELIFE.
Scott Shtofman, vice president of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, told the publication that the group is reviewing how legitimate operators can gain access. The restriction covers unauthorized drone activity within one nautical mile of the border and reaches up to 400 feet above ground level, putting it across the normal operating altitude for many commercial missions.
The immediate business issue is not simply the corridor’s size, Shtofman said, but whether permission is “clear and workable” for operators serving border communities. The rules describe authorized missions including law enforcement, firefighting, medevac, search and rescue, and disaster response, while commercial surveying, infrastructure inspection, agriculture and newsgathering are not specifically listed, DRONELIFE reported.
Operators seeking access would need to apply through U.S. Customs and Border Protection and provide at least 48 hours’ notice, according to the October 19 report. AUVSI wants clarity on whether CBP can approve commercial missions and what criteria it would use.
The association also called for a response-time commitment, standing or recurring approvals for operators that routinely work in the area, an urgent-mission process outside business hours, consistent FAA notice language and reliable depiction of the restriction in flight-planning tools.
The federal measure was announced October 16 as a restriction on unauthorized civilian drone operations within a corridor north of the border. For commercial operators, the next practical question is whether the permission process becomes a usable operating pathway rather than a case-by-case uncertainty.