The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making available noise certification standards that apply to individual model unmanned aircraft (UA), or drones, because no generally applicable noise certification standards were available at the time the aircraft was presented for certification. 

FAA published a final rule of particular applicability for the Matternet Model M2 aircraft in the Federal Register on September 12, 2022. 

Subsequently, when a noise certification applicant presents a UA for certification and the FAA finds that the appropriate noise certification basis is essentially the same as the standard adopted previously for another UA that was adopted through notice and comment rulemaking, the FAA may adopt the same standard for another applicant only as a final rule of particular applicability.  Since each RPA affects a single manufacturer and a single vehicle model, no publication in the Federal Register is required. This practice is consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) as the APA requires publication only of “substantive rules of general applicability.”  The following are the aircraft models for which the FAA has adopted a noise certification standard as a final rule, with a link to each rule.  

• Final Rule for Amazon.com Services LLC Model MK27-2 (July 27, 2023)
• Final rule for Flytrex Model FTX-M600P (July 3, 2023)
• Final rule for Airobotics Model Optimus 1-EX (July 3, 2023)
• Final rule for Percepto Robotics Model System 2.4 Sparrow (July 3, 2023)
• Final rule for Wing Aviation Model Hummingbird 7000W-A (July 3, 2023)
• Final rule for Zipline Model Zip (July 3, 2023)

For further information, please email NoiseCertificationStandard@faa.gov.