WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration said on
Wednesday that 181,000 drones have been registered in the database it launched
just over two weeks ago in response to a surge of rogue drone flights near
airports and crowded public venues.

The total is a fraction of the 700,000 drones that officials
have said they expected to be sold during the recently ended Christmas season.
FAA said it is working with the private sector on ways to streamline
registration including new smart phone apps that could allow a manufacturer or
retailer to register a drone automatically by scanning an identification code
on the aircraft.

“As of today, about 181,000 aircraft have been
registered,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement.
“But this is just the beginning. Now that we have set up the registration
system, our challenge is to make sure everyone is aware of the requirement and
registers.”

The FAA unveiled the registry for recreational drone owners on
Dec. 14 and launched the database on Dec. 21. Owners of drones weighing between
0.55 pound (250 grams) and 55 pounds (25 kgs) must register and display an FAA
identification number on their aircraft.

Federal officials see online registration as one way to address
unauthorized flights near airports and crowded public venues that have raised
safety concerns across the United States.

The FAA introduced a B4UFLY phone app in August that tells
people about flight restrictions in areas where they intend to fly their
drones.