Domestic Drones Could be Hijacked or Jammed, Pilots and Manufacturers Warn

Pilots, aircraft manufacturers and privacy groups say the Federal Aviation Administration should ensure that drone aircraft cannot be hijacked or jammed before the agency allows their widespread use in domestic air space. Pilots and airlines also warned FAA that plans to allow unfettered use of drones across the United States have the potential to degrade safe operations of manned aircraft.

FAA established a rule-making process in March to solicit comments on the establishment of six test sites for remotely piloted aircraft this summer and the eventual integration of drones into domestic air space by 2015, as described in the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act. The agency received 224 comments by the May 8 deadline.

State and local governments and their political leaders used the comment process to promote their regions for selection as one of the six test sites. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., for example, urged FAA to consider the use of its William J. Hughes Technical Center at the Atlantic City airport as a test site. John “Jack” Dalrymple, governor of North Dakota, told FAA his state has the infrastructure to support a test site and “sparse air space” to ensure safe operations.

Organizations with a stake in manned aircraft operations viewed large-scale operation of drones as a safety threat FAA must manage carefully. This includes protection against hacking of data links. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. said in its filing that the test site management team should have the requisite technical skills to make decisions about drone-control software and the ability to ensure “end-to-end cybersecurity.”...