Federal Aviation Administration

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates all civil aviation in the United States, including the rapidly growing commercial drone sector. In June 2026, the agency blew past its own spring Deadline for the Part 108 BVLOS final rule with no revised target date set, confirming the rule will not arrive on the original executive-order timeline. The primary blocker is a contested right-of-way provision under which crewed aircraft not broadcasting electronic position must yield to a BVLOS drone, a point that drew more than 50% of the 3,100+ public comments received.

The FAA also administers the equipment certification process that intersects with the FCC Covered List action against Chinese drone manufacturers. While the FCC blocks RF equipment authorisations, the FAA controls airworthiness and operational approvals. Together they form a regulatory squeeze on foreign-made UAS in US airspace. The agency's approach to drone regulation has been criticised as too slow by industry and too permissive by privacy advocates concerned about surveillance capabilities.

Part 108's delay is not isolated: the parallel Section 232 UAS tariff investigation is approximately 90 days past its own statutory Deadline, meaning both the demand-side regulatory framework and the supply-side tariff decision are frozen simultaneously. The combined freeze is the single most consequential US policy outcome for the commercial drone sector in 2026.