Ken Stewart to lead alliance focused on development of UAS infrastructure for safe and secure commercial drone operations in the United States
(SYRACUSE, NY) – NUAIR president and CEO Ken Stewart has been appointed president of the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA). The CDA is an independent nonprofit that works with all levels of government to collaborate on policies for industry growth and seeks to educate the public on the safe and responsible use of commercial drones to achieve economic benefits and humanitarian gains. Stewart’s wealth of experience and expertise will help advocate for policies that spur innovation and growth for the commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) industries.
“The future of drone technology is bright,” stated Stewart. “I look forward to working with the CDA on behalf of the industry to enable companies to operate commercially at scale, so we can bring the immense safety and efficiency benefits of commercial drones to the American people.”
“The UAS industry provides significant safety and efficiency benefits for the American public – from inspecting and monitoring our nation’s critical infrastructure to delivering essential supplies,” said CDA’s Executive Director Lisa Ellman. “Mr. Stewart’s depth of experience in innovative industries will help the CDA promote emerging technologies that enable safe and secure integration of our national airspace.”
Stewart also represents NUAIR on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). NUAIR supports this ARC focused on the development of performance-based regulatory requirements to normalize safe, scalable, economically viable, and environmentally advantageous unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) BVLOS operations.
NUAIR continues to work with the FAA, NASA, and industry on key projects that pave the way for future aviation and the overall safe integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system.
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About NUAIR
NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc.) is a New York-based nonprofit organization that provides expertise in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations, aeronautical research, safety management and consulting services. NUAIR is responsible for the continued advancement of New York’s 50-mile UAS Corridor and Advanced Air Mobility Proving Grounds, facilitating beyond visual line of sight testing and commercial drone operations. Headquartered in Syracuse, NUAIR manages operations of the FAA-designated New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY, responsible to the FAA and NASA to conduct operations for UAS and advanced air mobility testing. Visit www.nuair.org to learn more.