In what may be an emerging trend to liberalize and clarify the conditions of 333 exemptions, the FAA has raised the ceiling for commercial drone operations from 200 to 400 feet above ground level. You can read about other recent changes here.
Previously, any operation above 200 feet required additional FAA approval in the form of an additional Certificate of Authorization (COA). This process often took several weeks. As of today, commercial operators flying pursuant to a 333 will not have to apply for a new COA provided they remain outside of proscribed distances from airports. This change applies to all current 333 exemption holders.
For more information, please contact James Mackler in Frost Brown Todd’s Regulated Business practice group.