ArkUAV, a Little Rock drone operator, has received an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration to use unmanned aerial vehicles commercially, ArkUAV’s chief executive officer, Brad Fausett, said Wednesday.
Fausett said the company applied for the exemption in July and received the positive response last week.
The FAA has been working to develop regulations for commercial drone use. Businesses that use drones, such as for news gathering or crop monitoring, must have FAA approval.
“We can start using it now for commercial use — the moment we got the email we started,” he said, adding that drones are well suited to be used in Arkansas’ agriculture industry.