ILTA Comments on FAA Drone UAFR NPRM

The International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) submits these comments responding to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the Federal Register on May 06, 2026. 

ILTA represents more than 60 commercial operators of over 600 above-ground liquid storage terminals that handle a wide range of liquid  commodities, including crude oil, refined petroleum products, chemicals, fertilizers, animal fats, and vegetable oils. These terminals represent a key piece of critical infrastructure within the United States’ energy, chemical, and transportation systems sectors. Among many things, terminals provide essential logistics services, support domestic and international trade, and foster the readiness of the United States armed forces by making fuels and liquid products available throughout the world.

As such, these facilities face concerning risks brought by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including surveillance, operational, cyber, and physical threats warranting an unmanned aircraft flight restriction (UAFR) over these critical facilities. ILTA broadly supports the mission and framework of this rulemaking but has identified specific concerns regarding the definition of facilities eligible to apply for a UAFR, along with other concerns relating to the provisions of this rulemaking.