A proposed rule to establish a process in which site operators can request a no-fly zone for drone aircraft reasonably addresses the risks that the technology poses to bank security, the American Bankers Association and Bank Policy Institute said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed to implement section 2209 of the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act by establishing a process in which site owners and operators can request to create an unmanned aircraft flight restriction. The proposed rule would also establish the requirements that applicants must meet to prove that a no-fly zone is needed for security purposes.
In a joint letter to the FAA, ABA and BPI said that unauthorized unmanned aircraft activity near financial institution sites can create “obvious and legitimate risk” to physical security as well as cybersecurity, as the technology can be used to plan cyber attacks.
“The proposed rule addresses those risks in a sensible way,” the two associations said. “It does not impose a blanket prohibition on drone operations. Instead, it creates a petition-based framework with facility-specific justification, defined boundaries, FAA review and limited exceptions for certain operations within a designated unmanned aircraft flight restriction.”
