ICAO, meanwhile, says its first package of standards for what it calls remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) will become applicable on Nov. 15. They are “the tip of a complete regulatory framework,” says Leslie Cary, secretary of ICAO’s UAS study group.

The objective of the regulations will be to enable a remote operator located in, and licensed by, one country to fly a UAS in airspace controlled by another country. “That’s impossible in manned aviation ... and requires harmonized global standards,” she says.

“By 2028 we hope all the regulations to support the operation of RPAS in all classes of airspace and aerodromes will be in place,” Cary says. ICAO defines RPAS as a subset of unmanned aircraft in which the vehicle is always under the control of a remote pilot.