Hogan Lovells advises Sustainable Skylines in first-ever FAA authorization for drone advertising banners

Press releases | 30 August 2023

Washington, D.C., 30 August 2023 – Global law firm Hogan Lovells advised drone advertising and data analytics company Sustainable Skylines in securing the first-ever approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which, when combined with a soon-to-be-issued banner towing waiver, will enable commercial towing operations of advertising banners, allowing the company to launch full-size banner advertisements towed by a drone along Miami Beach. More about the approval, which allows for environmentally clean and safe advertising, was issued 24 August and can be found here.

The commercial drone industry has been working towards regulatory approvals for a wide range of new and innovative drone applications for the past decade and this FAA approval is undoubtedly the first of many that will transform the aerial advertising industry. Sustainable Skylines’ drone operations are more environmentally friendly, safe, and scalable in comparison to traditional aircraft banner towing, which faces constraints caused by small plane logistics and the proximity of events to airfields. Additionally, by eliminating the need for airport or runway access, drone banner towing operations can occur in various locations where traditional banner towing operations are not possible.

Jacob Stonecipher, founder and CEO of Sustainable Skylines, said: “Our team has worked tirelessly toward this regulatory approval; we wouldn’t be here without the guidance of Lisa Ellman and her team at Hogan Lovells. We’re excited to work with our partners to safely launch and integrate banner advertising by drone into the local airspace and community.”

Lisa Ellman, Partner and Chair of Hogan Lovells’ Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) practice, said: “Banner advertising is another exciting example of the new opportunities that commercial drones bring to our economy while enhancing the safety of the National Airspace System. Sustainable Skylines is an industry with a new technology and delivering exponential value through the use of safe, clean drone technology that can scale, entertain and create new jobs, too.”

In addition to Ellman, Hogan Lovells senior associate Matt Clark (Washington, D.C.) served on Sustainable Skylines’ legal team.

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About Sustainable Skylines

Sustainable Skylines is the first to market full-size drone advertising banner towing operations, driving innovation around antiquated aerial advertising practices by using sustainable drone technology and in-depth data analytics. Aggregating data from cellular, geospatial, and real-time footage from flight operations, Sustainable Skylines leverages the latest advances in computer vision, big data, and artificial intelligence to create actionable insights for our clients. Building the drone, pilot, and fleet management infrastructure alongside our partners and the FAA, Sustainable Skylines will drive innovation and sustainability across the country. Sustainable Skylines was founded in 2020 and headquartered in Miami, FL. For further information visit www.sustainableskylines.com.