The FAA today announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Choctaw Nation to determine how drones can best transport cargo—including parcels—at lower altitudes.
The agency’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) signed a three-year agreement with the Oklahoma-based Native tribe that will enable the center to study human factors, supply chain management and air-traffic control as they each relate to drone tech.
According to the FAA, the Choctaw Nation is the only tribal government selected by the U.S. transportation department to participate in the Unmanned Aerial System Integration Pilot Program—one of nine active pilot sites selected to work in collaboration with the FAA and industry to conduct advanced drone operations.
(Sources: https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/integration_pilot_program/, https://dronelife.com/2021/03/10/faa-taps-choctaw-nation-for-groundbreaking-drone-program/)