Washington ( CNN ) The Federal Aviation Administration will announce long awaited rules Sunday governing how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles , often called drones , will be legally allowed to fly in the United States for business purposes . Currently , all commercial remote controlled aircraft are banned , unless a specific , rare exception is obtained from the FAA and operators follow a lengthy list of rules . Only a handful of those exemptions have been granted since the first was awarded to energy giant BP and UAV manufacturer AeroVironment in June for aerial surveys in Alaska . `` These surveys on Alaska 's North Slope are another important step toward broader commercial use of unmanned aircraft , '' Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a news release at the time . `` The technology is quickly changing , and the opportunities are growing . '' Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta will announce the new rules during a conference call for reporters . One of the most significant challenges facing regulators is how to keep the small drones away from larger aircraft with people on board . There have been several close calls where pilots of commercial planes came within feet of UAVs . `` We saw a drone , a drone aircraft , '' an Alitalia pilot radioed in March as he came in for a landing at JFK airport in New York . The UAV came within 200 feet of the jetliner as it was flying at 1,750 feet , three miles from the runway , according to the FBI . It 's unclear how complicated the new requirements for commercial drone use will be . The FAA would not provide details Saturday evening . An apparently prematurely-posted FAA document led some drone advocates to believe they will be less burdensome than what is now required of the few operators who received exemptions . On January 5 , Douglas Trudeau became the first realtor to obtain an FAA exception to fly a drone to shoot video of houses for sale , but he was required to follow 33 detailed restrictions laid out in a 26 page letter . To legally fly his UAV , Trudeau must have a regular pilots license , pass an aviation medical check , be assisted by a spotter , request permission two days in advance , and limit flights to less than 35 mph and below 300 feet .
One major challenges is how to keep the small drones away from larger aircraft . The FAA has proposed a rule that would require pilots of unmanned planes to fly within visual range of an approaching plane, but it could be difficult for smaller drones.