Dec. 28 (UPI) — A Texas company that produces elaborate synchronized drone shows has been barred from staging the spectacles following an incident in Orlando in which several drones collided and fell into the crowd.
The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked a necessary waiver held by Sky Elements of Coppell, Texas, to operate such shows over live crowds, the agency said in a statement issued to media outlets on Friday.
It was not immediately clear how long the suspension will last.
It comes a week after a 7-year-old boy was seriously injured when multiple drones unexpectedly fell from the sky and into a crowd estimated at 25,000 at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.
In the wake of the FAA ruling, several upcoming drone shows set to be staged by Sky Elements have been canceled, including in Dallas, where the company was approved to perform at the 2024 Reunion Tower New Year’s Eve show.
The show was canceled “out of an abundance of caution following a recent incident,” Reunion Tower President Dusti Groskreutz told WFAA-TV on Friday.