Supporting Statement A
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Part 107 Authorizations and Waivers under 14 CFR Part 107 and Airspace Authorizations in Controlled Airspace under 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a)(5)
2120-0776
This collection activity involves the operation of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), more commonly known as drones. Information Collection 2120-0776 was approved on October 31, 2022, for 24,089 hours per year. This approval was for airspace authorizations through the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) and the DroneZone web portal for limited recreational activities. Information Collection 2120-0768 also utilizes LAANC and DroneZone web portal for sUAS airspace authorizations and airspace waivers under Part 107 and was approved on July 31, 2023, for 61,582 hours per year.
The FAA is consolidating Information Collection 2120-0768 into Information Collection 2120-0776 because both activities use the same systems, LAANC and the DroneZone web portal, to collect data. This consolidation will streamline operations and reduce the administrative burden associated with maintaining two separate information collections.
Since the respective approvals in 2022 and 2023, the number of requests has increased overall for both types of airspace authorizations. In addition, the FAA has increasingly shifted airspace access processing to the more automated system, LAANC, significantly reducing response times and the burden hours per respondent. However, the continuous growth in airspace authorization requests and the absorption of Information Collection 2120-0768 has greatly increased the total burden hours. The burden on individual respondents making airspace access requests has and will remain the same.
There is also an increase in the cost of the federal government processing such requests. In the previous submissions, the FAA accurately estimated that the number of personnel processing Part 107 and Section 44809 authorization requests would remain at the 2023 levels or slightly increase over the next three years. Due to the growing number of registered sUAS operators and corresponding number of requests, the FAA estimates the number of personnel will marginally increase over the next three years.
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to determine which types of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) may operate safely in the national airspace system (NAS) (See 49 U.S.C. § 44807). Based on such determinations, the FAA established requirements for the safe operation of UAS in the NAS.
The FAA issued the Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems final rule to enable certain sUAS operation (81 FR 42064, June 28, 2016). This final rule is contained in Title 14 C.F.R. § 107.1, et seq. and is more commonly known as Part 107.
Title 14 C.F.R.§ 107.41 states:
No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
In addition to allowing for sUAS operations pursuant to a prior authorization, Part 107 provides that the FAA may issue certificates of waiver that authorize certain operations that would not otherwise be in compliance with Part 107 regulations. 14 C.F.R. § 107.200(a) provides:
The Administrator may issue a certificate of waiver authorizing a deviation from any regulation specified in § 107.205 if the Administrator finds that a proposed sUAS operation can safely be conducted under the terms of that certificate of waiver.
Section 107.41 (Operation in certain airspace) is subject to waiver. Waivers of §107.41 are referred to throughout this document as “airspace waivers.”
Congress enacted the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (the Act), which was signed into law by the President on October 5, 2018. Included within the Act is 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a), referred to throughout this document as “Section 44809,” which established what are referred to as limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a)(5) requires that these small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operators receive an authorization from the FAA prior to conducting any flight operation of a sUAS in Class B, Class C, Class D, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport. The FAA allows respondents for this collection to submit airspace authorizations to conduct sUAS flight operations in controlled airspace through two different means: (1) The Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) and (2) the DroneZone web portal.
Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)
LAANC is a tool provided by the FAA and UAS Service Suppliers (USSs) process requests from respondents for airspace authorization to conduct Part 107 or Section 44809 operations in controlled airspace. USSs are FAA-approved industry partners. The USSs, in a private-public collaboration with the FAA, act as a conduit between both Part 107 and Section 44809 respondents and the FAA to facilitate the request process. Using LAANC, a respondent submits a request for authorization to operate a sUAS in a particular airspace location to the USS. The USS collects information regarding the date, time, and location of the proposed operation and processes the request to the FAA. A response is provided by FAA through the USS to the respondent advising whether the request for authorization is approved or denied.
The information requested from a Part 107 or Section 44809 respondent is the minimal amount of information necessary for the FAA to know where, when, and for how long an operation will occur. This information is necessary and essential to ensure the safe operation of sUAS in the NAS.
DroneZone Web Portal
The DroneZone web portal is an enterprise IT solution developed to consolidate several sUAS support systems into a central location. Respondents will establish a single account on the web portal where they will be able to conduct multiple activities, including requesting authorization to fly pursuant to 14 C.F.R. § 107.41 and Section 44809. Respondents communicate directly with the FAA when using DroneZone. When a respondent requests an authorization to fly via the DroneZone, the FAA will manually process the request and provide an approval or denial to the respondent via the web portal. The information requested from a sUAS respondent is the minimal amount of information necessary for the FAA to know where, when, and for how long an operation will occur. This information is necessary and essential to ensure the safe operation of sUAS in the NAS.
Under 14 C.F.R. § 107.205(h), Part 107 operators may request a waiver to the authorization requirements of § 107.41 or “airspace waiver”. Respondents may use DroneZone to request airspace waivers, communicating directly with the FAA. When a respondent requests an airspace waiver via DroneZone, the FAA will manually process the request and provide an approval or denial to the respondent via the web portal. The information requested from a respondent is the minimal amount of information necessary for the FAA to know where, when, and for how long an operation will occur. This information is necessary and essential to ensure the safe operation of sUAS in the NAS.
2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.
Respondents are sUAS operators seeking authorization to fly in controlled airspace under either 14 CFR § 107.41 or 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a)(5) (sUAS operators flying “limited recreational operations” also referred to as “recreational flyers”). Per the regulatory requirements of both operation types, no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Thus, respondents are required to provide certain information to ATC as part of the application process to gain authorization to fly in controlled airspace. The information includes the respondent’s name, telephone number, email address, and information related to the date, time, place, and altitude of any planned flight operations in controlled airspace. Reporting this information is required for Part 107 and Section 44809 operators to receive authorization to fly a sUAS in controlled airspace. There are no record-keeping or disclosure requirements.
The information requested from respondents for airspace authorizations and airspace waivers is essential to the FAA’s mission of ensuring safety in the airspace. The FAA is tasked with the exclusive management of airspace in the United States and must issue regulations and control the use of airspace to ensure the safe and efficient use of airspace.P0FP0FP0F1PPP
Part 107 Airspace Authorizations
The FAA uses the information provided by respondents via either LAANC or the DroneZone web portal for the same purposes and will address each together.
LAANC and DroneZone Web Portal
The FAA uses this information to evaluate airspace authorization requests submitted under Part 107 and Section 44809. For both user types, the LAANC and DroneZone systems serve as the primary collection mechanisms. LAANC provides near-real-time, fully automated processing for authorization requests that fall within published UAS Facility Maps (UASFMs), while DroneZone enables manual review and approval for requests outside of automated limits or for locations not served by LAANC.
Part 107 Airspace Waivers
DroneZone Web Portal
The FAA uses information respondents submit via the DroneZone web portal to determine whether each respondent can safely operate the sUAS under the terms of an airspace waiver that authorizes deviation from § 107.41. The FAA reviews and analyzes the information it collects from the respondent to determine the type and extent of the intended deviation from § 107.41. In general, the FAA will issue a certificate of waiver or authorization to the respondent (individuals and businesses) if the proposed operation does not create a hazard to persons on the ground or to other aircraft.
If the FAA did not collect this information, the FAA would not be able to grant certificates of waiver from § 107.41 as the FAA uses the information to authorize (or deny) the requested airspace waiver consistent with the FAA’s legal mandate to maintain a safe and efficient airspace.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Airspace authorization requests are submitted electronically through two systems: the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) and the DroneZone web portal. Each system supports different degrees of automation and serves both Part 107 operators and recreational flyers under 49 U.S.C. § 44809.
LAANC
LAANC is a highly automated, near real-time system that processes airspace authorization requests falling within designated UAS Facility Map (UASFM) altitudes. Once a request is submitted, the system evaluates it using predefined airspace constraints and, if compliant, returns an automated approval within seconds. LAANC is accessible through a network of FAA-approved UAS Service Suppliers (USSs). The LAANC program’s public information site is https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/data_exchange.
LAANC greatly reduces processing time and agency burden by automating all phases of the submission, evaluation, and response workflow for qualifying operations.
DroneZone Web Portal
For airspace authorization requests not covered by LAANC—such as those in areas without UASFM coverage or those seeking altitudes above the published limits—the FAA provides the DroneZone web portal: https://faadronezone.faa.gov/. While submission and initial acknowledgment are automated, FAA personnel must manually review each request to determine whether the proposed operation poses a hazard to airspace users or infrastructure. The web portal supports both commercial and recreational users and ensures access to controlled airspace where automated services are not applicable.
Requests for Part 107 airspace waivers are collected via the DroneZone web portal. The web portal is partially automated. The submission of a request and response from FAA is automated, but the review of each waiver request the FAA receives via the web portal requires individual analysis that the FAA conducts.
The
FAA’s adoption of LAANC and DroneZone reflects its commitment
to streamlining public interaction, reducing response times, and
maintaining safety and oversight through electronic systems.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.
Part 107 and 49 U.S.C. § 44809 Airspace Authorizations:
LAANC
The FAA is the only government entity that collects or requests information from respondents related to requests for authorization to conduct Part 107 and Section 44809 operations in class B, C, D, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of class E airspace adjacent to an airport. Duplicate records for the same authorization request could exist if an operator voluntarily chooses to use the web portal and LAANC for the same operation. The requested information will be stored in the shared LAANC and web portal data repository. The information is not located in any other Federal data repository nor accessible in other government systems
DroneZone Web Portal
The FAA is the only government entity that collects or requests information from respondents related to requests for authorization to conduct Part 107 and Section 44809 operations in class B, C, D, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of class E airspace adjacent to an airport. Duplicate records for the same authorization request could exist if an operator voluntarily chooses to use the web portal and LAANC for the same operation. The requested information will be stored in the shared LAANC and web portal data repository. The information is not located in any other Federal data repository nor accessible in other government systems.
Part 107 Airspace Waivers:
DroneZone Web Portal
The
FAA is the only government entity that collects or requests
information from respondents related to requests for waivers from §
107.41. The requested information will be stored in the shared LAANC
and web portal data repository. The information is not located in any
other Federal data repository nor accessible in other government
systems.
5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize burden.
Part 107 and 49 U.S.C. § 44809 Airspace Authorizations:
LAANC
The requested information is limited to the minimum information needed for the FAA to approve or deny a requested Part 107 and Section 44809 airspace authorization. The FAA is legally mandated to maintain a safe and efficient airspace. No exception can be provided to any respondent, including small businesses, from providing the requested information as it is essential to maintaining a safe airspace. LAANC is an alternative method to request airspace authorizations from the web portal and is expected to take significantly less time for small businesses to request and receive authorization to conduct sUAS operations, thereby greatly reducing the burden on small businesses.
DroneZone Web Portal
The requested information is limited to the minimum information needed for the FAA to approve or deny a requested Part 107 and Section 44809 airspace authorization. The FAA is legally mandated to maintain a safe and efficient airspace. No exception can be provided to any respondent, including small businesses, from providing the requested information as it is essential to maintaining a safe airspace.
Part 107 Airspace Waivers:
DroneZone Web Portal
The requested information is limited to the minimum information related to the requested waiver from § 107.41 necessary to ensure the safe and efficient maintenance of the NAS. The FAA has ensured that no information other than that necessary to maintain a safe airspace has been requested. No exception can be provided to any Part 107 operator, including small businesses, from providing the requested information as the information is essential to maintaining safe airspace. If the respondent does not provide sufficient information to enable the FAA to approve or deny the request, the FAA will contact the respondent and request additional information.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.
Part 107 and 49 U.S.C. § 44809 Airspace Authorizations:
The FAA has a statutory mandate to control and maintain a consistently high level of civil aviation safety. The information requested for Part 107 and Section 44809 airspace authorizations is necessary to ensure that each unique operation will be conducted safely. Without the information requested from respondents, the FAA would be unable to approve any airspace authorizations submitted under Part 107 or Section 44809. As different circumstances apply at different times, for example if a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place, respondents must request an authorization each time they wish to conduct an operation.
Part 107 Airspace Waivers
The
FAA has a statutory mandate to control and maintain a consistently
high level of civil aviation safety. The information collections for
airspace waivers are necessary to ensure that each unique operation
will be conducted safely. Without the information requested from
respondents, the FAA would be unable to approve any airspace waivers
submitted under Part 107.
7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:
There are no special circumstances for this information collection.
8. Provide information on the PRA Federal Register Notice that solicited public comments on the information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.
A Federal Register Notice published on September 2, 2025 (90 FR 42500) solicited public comment. The FAA received no comments from the public.
9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No gifts or payments are provided to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
There
is no assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
The only information collected from airspace authorizations and airspace waivers that may be considered “sensitive in nature” is the personal contact information associated with the sUAS operation (aircraft operator name, telephone number, email address, and optionally provided registration number). This personal information is limited to what is necessary for the FAA to contact Part 107 operators and Section 44809 recreational flyers in the event of a hazardous condition or if any other situation arises that requires the operator to cease flight operations.
Any records collected containing personally identifiable information are covered by the Privacy Act and will be managed in accordance with the Department of Transportation system of records notice (SORN) DOT/FAA 854 – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Waivers and Authorizations (88 FR 59566, August 29, 2023)2 which provides notice to the public of FAA’s privacy practices regarding the collection, use, sharing, safeguarding, maintenance, and disposal of information collected from sUAS operators related to waivers and authorizations. The FAA maintains Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for its electronic systems that process personally identifiable information. LAANC’s PIA was completed on July 2, 2024.3 The DroneZone web portal (FAA DroneZone) PIA was completed on March 16, 2023.4
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:
Part 107 Airspace Authorizations and Waivers
Respondents can submit Part 107 and Section 44809 airspace authorization requests through either the DroneZone web portal or through LAANC. The FAA estimates that the average request submitted through LAANC takes five minutes to complete and that the average request through the DroneZone web portal takes thirty minutes to complete.
Previously, Information Collection (IC) 2120-0776 was approved for 252,460 annual responses and 24,007 annual burden hours. Actual respondents were fewer than initially estimated; however, the number of Section 44809 respondents increased notably from fiscal year (FY) 2023 to FY 2024—from 149,397 to 190,012, representing a 27.2% year-over-year increase. In FY 2025, there were 204,392 respondents, a 6% increase from the prior year, which aligns more closely with the growth rate the FAA anticipates over the next three years. Although steady growth is expected to continue, the overall burden associated with this collection has decreased when compared to the previously approved estimates, based on the actual number of respondents recorded over the past three fiscal years.
Previously, Information Collection (IC) 2120-0768 was approved for 492,655 annual responses and 61,582 annual burden hours. LAANC respondents exceeded projections, with 473,066 respondents in FY 2024 and 561,351 respondents in FY 2025—an 18.7% increase. DroneZone respondents, by contrast, were accurately estimated for FY 2023 (43,559) and FY 2024 (51,477) but decreased by 22.4% in FY 2025 (39,929). This decrease is attributed to LAANC system enhancements that expanded Air Traffic Control (ATC) facilities’ Further Coordination (FC) request capabilities, which previously required submission through DroneZone. This is further supported by the 25.3% increase in FY 2025 LAANC FC requests.
The FAA Aerospace Forecast, Fiscal Years 2025-20455 projects that the number of sUAS commercial and recreational operators will continue to increase over the next three years. Additionally, several new regulations including night operations and operations over people have added to the types of sUAS operations allowable under the law. The FAA is also finalizing new regulations with the recent publication of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations6. Given this, the FAA estimates that sUAS respondents under 2120-0776 will continue to increase beyond the 2025 numbers.
For the purpose of this renewal request, the FAA estimates that the number of respondents will increase year over year based on platform-specific growth rates. The number of LAANC respondents is projected to increase by 10% annually, driven by the implementation of updates to Further Coordination requests that are expected to expand LAANC usage. Conversely, the number of DroneZone respondents is expected to increase by 5% annually from the 2025 baseline figures, as some operations that previously required DroneZone submissions may shift to the LAANC platform under the updated Further Coordination requests. These estimates are intended to accurately reflect the total number of potential respondents, the forecasted growth in sUAS operators, however the evolving regulations for conducting sUAS operations could have unforeseen impacts on these collections.
The FAA estimates that a respondent will require 5 minutes (or .08 hours) to complete an authorization request using LAANC and 30 minutes (or .5 hours) using the web portal. See Table 1, below, for an estimated calculation on the burden hours on respondents requesting Part 107 airspace authorizations.
See Table 1, below, for an estimated calculation on the burden hours on respondents requesting airspace authorizations.
Table 1. Burden on Respondents using LAANC system and DroneZone web portal.
LAANC System Authorizations |
||||||
Period (Oct 1 – Sep 30) |
Respondents |
Burden Hours |
||||
Part 107 |
Section 44809 |
Total |
Part 107 |
Section 44809 |
Total |
|
FY26 |
617,486 |
221,111 |
838,597 |
51,457 |
18,426 |
69,883 |
FY27 |
679,234 |
243,222 |
922,456 |
56,603 |
20,269 |
76,871 |
FY28 |
747,158 |
267,544 |
1,014,702 |
62,263 |
22,295 |
84,559 |
LAANC Total |
2,043,878 |
731,877 |
2,775,755 |
170,323 |
60,990 |
231,313 |
Annual Average |
681,293 |
243,959 |
925,252 |
56,774 |
20,330 |
77,104 |
|
||||||
DroneZone Web Portal Authorizations and Waivers |
||||||
FY26 |
39,558 |
3,551 |
43,109 |
19,779 |
1,775.5 |
21,555 |
FY27 |
41,536 |
3,729 |
45,265 |
20,768 |
1,864.5 |
22,633 |
FY28 |
43,613 |
3,915 |
47,528 |
21,806.5 |
1,957.5 |
23,764 |
DroneZone Total |
124,707 |
11,195 |
135,902 |
62,353.5 |
5,597.5 |
67,951 |
Annual Average |
41,569 |
3,732 |
45,301 |
20,784.5 |
1,865.8 |
22,650 |
|
||||||
LAANC System and DroneZone Web Portal Combine |
||||||
Period (Oct 1 – Sep 30) |
Respondents |
Burden Hours |
||||
Part 107 |
Section 44809 |
Total |
Part 107 |
Section 44809 |
Total |
|
FY26 |
657,044 |
224,662 |
881,706 |
71,236 |
20,201 |
91,438 |
FY27 |
720,770 |
246,951 |
967,721 |
77,371 |
22,133 |
99,504 |
FY28 |
790,771 |
271,459 |
1,062,230 |
84,070 |
24,253 |
108,323 |
Combine Total |
2,168,585 |
743,072 |
2,911,657 |
232,677 |
66,587 |
299,264 |
Combine Annual Average |
722,862 |
247,691 |
970,552 |
77,559 |
22,196 |
99,755 |
Respondents must use an appropriate web-capable electronic device (e.g., computer or smart phone) to request authorization via the DroneZone web portal or LAANC. The FAA estimates that the annual burden hours on respondents will be 99,755 (77,104 for LAANC respondents and 22,650 for web portal respondents). The FAA calculates the average wage of respondents to be $45.99/hour. This number is based on the average wage across all occupations as outlined in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – June 20257”, which calculates the average wage at $39.31 across all occupations. This wage includes fringe benefits, but not costs for overhead. The FAA increased the hourly wage by 17 percent to account for overhead costs such as rent, utilities, and office equipment8 for a total wage of $45.99. Based on the annual estimate of 99,755 hours, the annual total cost will be $4,587,958.18 ($3,546,235.19 for LAANC respondents and $1,041,749.99 for DroneZone web portal respondents).
13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information.
Part 107 Airspace Authorizations
LAANC
The FAA assesses no charge to respondents who request authorizations using LAANC. An individual USS may assess a fee to a respondent to submit a Part 107 operation request through its individual service. This is determined by the USS provider. There are USSs with no fees being charged to the public.
DroneZone Web Portal
There is no fee to respondents to use the web portal to request authorizations.
Part 107 Airspace Waivers
DroneZone Web Portal
There is no fee to respondents to use the DroneZone web portal to request airspace waivers.
49 U.S.C. § 44809 Airspace Authorizations
LAANC
The FAA assesses no charge to respondents who request authorizations using LAANC. An individual USS may assess a fee to a respondent to submit a request through its individual service. This is determined by the USS provider. There are multiple publicly available USSs that do not charge a fee to sUAS respondents.
DroneZone Web Portal
There
is no fee to respondents to use the DroneZone web portal to request
authorizations.
14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.
LAANC and the DroneZone web portal share resources and the costs of running these programs are intertwined between them. This sharing of resources allows the FAA to save money on cloud hosting fees and other sustainment costs. Additionally, the development of LAANC should result in reduced number of contractors evaluating authorization requests submitted via the DroneZone web portal. The following costs have been broken out according to (1) system sustainment and maintenance and (2) personnel costs.
System Sustainment and Maintenance
The estimated cost of system sustainment and maintenance for both systems is captured in Table 2.
Table 2. Estimated System Sustainment and Maintenance Costs
System |
FY26 |
FY27 |
FY28 |
Total |
Annual Average |
LAANC Sustainment |
$3,129,809.48 |
$5,050,615.34 |
$5,202,133.80 |
$13,382,558.61 |
$4,460,852.87 |
DroneZone Sustainment |
$2,251,017.62 |
$2,318,548.15 |
$2,388,104.59 |
$6,957,670.36 |
$2,319,223.45 |
Total |
$5,380,827.10 |
$7,369,163.48 |
$7,590,238.39 |
$20,340,228.97 |
$6,780,076.32 |
Personnel Costs
The FAA uses both contractors and federal employees to process Part 107 and Section 44809 airspace authorizations and airspace waiver requests through the DroneZone web portal. The FAA estimates there will be the equivalent of 2.5 FTE federal employees and 24.0 FTE Contractors for FY2026. The federal employees are expected to remain constant in FY2027 and increase 1.0 FTE FY2028 and expects contractor support to increase by 1.0 FTE in FY2027 and another 1.5 FTE in 2028. The cost of federal employees is expected to be $190,000 per FTE and $175,000 per year for contractor support. FAA currently employs resources at the equivalent of 2.5 FTE to process airspace authorization requests under Part 107. As part of this estimate, the FAA will apply the 2.0% annual increase per the Office of Personnel’s Salary Table for 2025. The FAA will also apply a 2% per year increase for the contractor support.
Table 3. Cost of Contractors and Federal Employees to Process Part 107 Airspace Authorization Requests.
ATO |
FY26 |
FY27 |
FY28 |
Total |
Annual Average |
|
Contractors
|
# of FTEs |
24 |
25 |
26.5 |
75.5 |
25.17 |
Cost per FTE |
$175,000 |
$178,500 |
$182,070 |
535570 |
178,523.33 |
|
Total |
$4,200,000 |
$4,462,500 |
$4,824,855 |
$13,487,355 |
$4,495,785 |
|
Federal Employees |
# of FTEs |
2.5 |
2.5 |
3.5 |
8.5 |
2.83 |
Cost per FTE |
190,000 |
$193,800 |
$197,676 |
$581,476 |
$193,825.33 |
|
Total |
$475,000 |
$484,500 |
$691,866 |
$1,651,366 |
$550,455 |
|
Total |
$4,675,000 |
$4,675,000 |
$4,947,000 |
$15,138,721 |
$5,046,240 |
|
Part 107 Airspace Waivers
The following costs have been broken according to (1) system sustainment and maintenance and (2) personnel costs.
System Sustainment and Maintenance
The system sustainment and maintenance costs for Part 107 airspace waivers are captured in Table 4.
Personnel Costs
The FAA staffing resources to process airspace waiver requests is captured in Table 3.
In summary, the total cost to the government is estimated to be $35,478,949, or $11,826,316 annually, during the course of the requested approval period.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.
Information Collection 2120-0776 was approved on October 31, 2022 for 24,007 hours per year, and Information Collection 2120-0768 was approved on July 31, 2023, for 61,582 hours per year. These approvals were for Part 107 and Section 44809 airspace authorizations and airspace waiver through LAANC and the DroneZone web portal.
The FAA is consolidating Information Collection 2120-0768 into Information Collection 2120-0776 because both activities use the same systems, LAANC and the DroneZone web portal, to collect data. This consolidation will streamline operations and reduce the administrative burden associated with maintaining two separate information collections.
Since the respective approvals in 2022 and 2023, the number of requests has increased overall for both types of airspace authorizations. In addition, the FAA has increasingly shifted airspace access processing to the more automated system, LAANC, significantly reducing response times and the burden hours per respondent. However, the continuous growth in airspace authorization requests and the absorption of Information Collection 2120-0768 has greatly increased the total burden hours. The burden on individual respondents making airspace access requests has and will remain the same.
There
is also an increase in the cost of the federal government processing
such requests. In the previous submissions, the FAA accurately
estimated that the number of personnel processing Part 107 and
Section 44809 authorization requests would remain at the 2023 levels
or slightly increase over the next three years. Due to the growing
number of registered sUAS operators and corresponding number of
requests, the FAA estimates the number of personnel will marginally
increase over the next three years.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.
The
FAA will not be publishing any data related to airspace
authorizations or requests for authorizations covered by this request
to collect information.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.
The
FAA is not seeking approval not to display the date of expiration of
this information collection.
18. Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.”
There are no exceptions to the certification statement for this information collection.
1 See 49 U.S.C. §§ 40103 and 44701; 49 U.S.C. § 44807
3 https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-11/Privacy%20-%20FAA%20-%20LAANC%20-%20B4UFLY%20-%20PIA%20-%202024.pdf
4 https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2023-06/Privacy%20-%20FAA%20-%20FAADroneZone%20-%20PIA%20-%202023_0.pdf
8 Source: Cody Rice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Wage Rates for Economic Analyses of the Toxics Release Inventory Program” (June 10, 2002), https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPPT-2014-0650-0005
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Hall, Barbara L (FAA) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-12-23 |