Business
Business

Drones and planes share the skies at the world's busiest airport

Source: 3D Robotics

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Source: 3D Robotics
By
March 11, 2017

The first federally-approved drone flights have begun at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Drones are generally not allowed in Class B airspace -- the type of airspace that surrounds Hartsfield-Jackson and other busy commercial airports -- without special permission.

But last December the Federal Aviation Administration began allowing the first Class B drone flights to take off.

In Class B airspace around the Atlanta airport -- the world's busiest -- drones have already been used to capture images of a quarry and to create a 3D model of airport parking garages, and will soon be used to get a good view of the airfield to prepare for runway repairs.

Source: 3DR

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

icon to expand image

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

To read more about how the first drone flights at Hartsfield-Jackson were done safely while airline flights took off and landed, and why drones are being used, get the full story on MyAJC.com.

About the Author

As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.

Follow Kelly Yamanouchi on facebookFollow Kelly Yamanouchi on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

BioTouch, a company that manufactures medical testing kits, announced an expansion to its Columbus operations in December 2025. This is a courtesy photo of BioTouch's sample collection products. (Courtesy of BioTouch)

Credit: Courtesy of BioTouch

Medical company announces expansion in Columbus with 480 jobs

A medical logistics company that makes health care kits announced an expansion plan for its Columbus operations, which will add 480 new jobs to the region.

What you need to know about the Netflix bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery

The blockbuster deal, totaling about $72 billion, will create a combined portfolio of many of Hollywood’s best known properties.

AI is reshaping fintech jobs. Georgia is building the talent to match.

Financial technology is the backbone of commerce and a pillar of Georgia’s economy, and it’s one that could be disrupted by artificial intelligence.

The Latest

A new kind of hybrid, called e-Power, is coming to the U.S. from Nissan. Courtesy of Nissan

Credit: Courtesy of Nissan

OPINION

Nissan’s e-Power: An EV driving experience, fueled by gas

OPINION

December car sales are good but not magic

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child.

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.