FAA expected to approve drones for movies, TV

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce today that it is granting permits to seven movie and television production companies to fly drones.

Attorneys and a company official familiar with the decision say the permits are an important step toward relaxation of the FAA ban on use of unmanned aircraft by commercial operators.

But the permits are also expected to come with limitations, including that the drones be used only on closed sets and that they be operated by a three-person team, including a trained drone operator.

The FAA is under intense pressure from Congress and a plethora of industries who want to use the technology or sell it to others to relax its ban on commercial drone use.