Airlines back creation of global drone registry: IATA

Concerned by a rise in near collisions by unmanned aircraft and commercial jets, the world’s airlines back development of a UN-led global registry for drones, an executive of their trade group said Tuesday. The IATA backs efforts by the UN’ aviation agency to develop such a registry, which could also help track the number of incidents involving drones and jets, said Rob Eagles, IATA’s director of air traffic management infrastructure. IATA would consider collaborating with the ICAO with using the registry for data analysis to improve safety. ICAO is developing the registry as part of broader efforts to come up with common rules for flying and tracking unmanned aircraft. “One of the important things we would like to see on a registry as well is the compilation of data which would include incident and accident reporting,” Eagles said. Airlines and airport operators are looking to drone registries, geo-fencing technology and stiffer penalties for operating drones near airports. They hope these steps will ensure flying remains safe as hobbyists and companies like Amazon.com Inc use more drones.<br/>