WESTCHESTER, NY (WABC) -- Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the Federal Government to get drone regulations passed for the safety of air travelers.
The call comes after Schumer revealed that there have been at least two recent instances of drones spotted flying in Westchester airspace near Westchester Airport, including one that came within a landing plane's airspace.
In light of the danger these drones pose to Westchester air travelers, Schumer called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to immediately move forward and release much-needed rules for the use of small unmanned aircraft systems.
Schumer also noted that recent near-miss incidents in which drones flew dangerously close to airplanes at airports frequented by Westchester travelers, like JFK and LaGuardia, underscores the need for these new rules. He noted that, while there are innumerable benefits to drone technology, there are also consequences that create serious safety concerns for the general public.
"The lack of clear rules about small drones, what is a commercial versus a hobby drone, and how and where they can be used, is creating a serious threat to New Yorkers' safety," Schumer said. "We cannot wait for a fatal crash or incident to get this done...In many ways, New York airspace has become the Wild West of drones. It must stop."
Schumer blamed the FAA and other agencies for dragging their feet on drone laws.
"Get rules out and out quickly," he said. "We need them, drones users need them, people want them."
Drones are unmanned aircraft systems that fall under three categories denoted by the Federal Aviation Authority: civil, public and model aircraft.
The public unmanned aircraft systems are used by government agencies, law enforcement agencies and research institutions to aid in their operations. They are an incredibly important technology, and are helpful in collecting data, aiding with border patrol operations, agriculture, training the military and more.
The civil unmanned aircraft systems and the model aircraft systems provide opportunities for civilians to use drones for recreational purposes. Schumer supports the use of drones under all of these categories, but said that there must be clear limits to their usage when privacy and safety are threatened.
Schumer said that while these drones, used by companies and individuals, are usually small they can do immense damage if they collide with a jet engine or a plane's windshield. He went on to say that as this technology becomes even more popular, it creates an even larger cause for concern in terms of airline and pedestrian safety.