FAA partners with Kittyhawk to update drone mobile app

The Federal Aviation Administration’s mobile app for drone operators, branded as B4UFLY, will see a total makeover later this year courtesy of Kittyhawk.

“We want to provide drone pilots with the best tools possible so they fly safely and responsibly. As drone sales increase and our nation’s airspace becomes busier and more complex, it’s vital that we work smarter and partner with the private sector to develop innovative products that advance safety,” said Dan Elwell, acting FAA administrator.

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Kittyhawk is an enterprise developer that works with both personal and commercial drone operations. Kittyhawk’s self-titled Kittyhawk: Drone Flight Ops app meets the FAA Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) requirements and is available on both the Google Play and Apple App Store.

B4UFLY has been widely panned by users and was the FAA’s first attempt at a mobile application, receiving less than two stars on both the Google and Apple stores. The agency promises the update will make the app easy-to-understand and use while providing accurate situational awareness for drone operations.

The current B4UFLY app will continue to be available for download and its real-time data updated however no further features will be added.