Cuomo Announces Agreement Between NASA And NUAIR Alliance

Governor Andrew Cuomo was at Griffiss International Airport in Rome on Thursday to make an announcement regarding unmanned aircraft testing at Griffiss.

Cuomo announced an agreement between NASA and the NUAIR Alliance for drone testing.

"With this groundbreaking partnership and our $30 million investment for the most advanced drone testing in the country, we are establishing Central New York and the Mohawk Valley as the premiere destination for businesses at the forefront of innovation," Cuomo said. "By investing in this cutting-edge technology, we are creating a pathway to grow the upstate economy and create good-paying, quality jobs in the industries of the future."

Ron Johnson of NASA says testing to develop a UAS traffic management system will be taking place in the coming months.

Johnson says they'll be testing many different applications, including public safety operations, search and rescue and package delivery.

Testing previously took place at Griffiss in 2016 and this past summer.

Griffiss is one of six UAS test sites across the country.

photo courtesy of Governor Cuomo's Office