SkyPan and the FAA Reach Settlement
The Federal Aviation Administration and SkyPan International Inc. have finally reached a settlement regarding a fine that was issued in 2015.
SkyPan Inc. was originally fined $1.9 million by the Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly operating UAS in a crowded airspace in major cities (New York City and Chicago).
The settlement states the SkyPan will work with the FAA to help support its public outreach campaign. SkyPan will also pay $200,000 to the FAA, along with a $150,000 yearly fine if the company violates any further regulations.
“SkyPan’s flights were conducted two years before the FAA’s first rule for commercial UAS operations, commonly referred to as Part 107, went into effect in August 2016, and all but a few were conducted before the FAA began to issue exemptions to authorize commercial UAS operations in September 2014 under the Section 333 process,” the company said in a press release. “SkyPan has never had an accident, and SkyPan has never compromised citizens’ privacy or security. SkyPan obtained a section 333 Exemption in 2015.”
The company said it wanted to settle “to resolve this matter without any further expense or delay of business.”
