WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced that Matt Cornelius, Executive Vice President, was named co-chair of the new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAS Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to make recommendations to further enhance airspace safety and security through the expanded use of drone detection and mitigation technologies.

“Ensuring the safety and security of the traveling public, airport workers, and aviation infrastructure is a top priority for airports,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  “Collaboration on complex challenges is the hallmark of our industry.  Matt’s leadership on this important initiative will help develop a roadmap for providing the aviation community and others with the tools needed to protect critical infrastructure, including airports.”

Established through the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, the new FAA UAS Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee will make recommendations for the expanded use of, and possible standards for, drone detection and mitigation technologies.  The ARC will focus on ensuring technologies or systems that are developed, tested, or deployed by authorized federal departments and agencies to detect and mitigate potential risks posed by errant or hostile uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) do not adversely impact or interfere with the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system.  The committee will convene in May 2023 and expects to issue its final report in early 2024.

Cornelius will co-chair the ARC with Michael Robbins, Chief Advocacy Officer for the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).  ACI-NA and AUVSI collaborated together in 2019 on the Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports, which produced a report with policy recommendations and a draft airport UAS incident response plan.

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