The AUVSI Drone and AAM Policy Symposium, held July 29–30 in Washington, D.C., brought together policymakers and industry leaders to discuss the future of drone and advanced air mobility (AAM) integration in the national airspace. The event, hosted by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), focused on how government and private sector collaboration can unlock the potential of emerging aviation technologies.
Keynote Emphasizes Delays in Critical BVLOS Rulemaking
Michael Robbins, President and CEO of AUVSI, opened the keynote session by addressing the frustration over missed deadlines for publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for drone flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), also known as Part 108, pointing out that the first congressional deadline for the NPRM has now been missed by more than 300 days.
“Promises have been made… promises have been broken,” Robbins said, expressing the industry’s disappointment.
Robbins noted that while the FAA has made significant progress, the NPRM remains under a second round of review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). “BVLOS is a priority for all of us. We will get there,” he said, urging continued advocacy and engagement in the public comment process once the draft is published.
At present, more than 687 BVLOS waivers have been issued – which Robbins says highlights the industry’s interest and the FAA’s effort—but also indicates clearly the need for a scalable regulatory solution.
Building a Safer, More Inclusive Airspace
Robbins also addressed the importance of “universal conspicuity”—the idea that all aircraft, including those currently exempt, should transmit their position to enhance safety and support integration with a unified traffic management (UTM) system.
He called for stronger national policies to combat unauthorized drone use and protect U.S. airspace, including expanding counter-UAS authorities and reducing reliance on drones made in China. While counter UAS technology to detect, categorize and mitigate unauthorized drone activity is available, currently its use is strictly limited to a few government agencies, to be used only under very specific circumstances.
Counter UAS authority has been an important issue for both the commercial drone industry and state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement, who are often called upon to deal with unauthorized drone activity. President Trump’s recent Executive Order on airspace sovereignty mentioned the topic, calling for movement to expand CUAS authority.
Robbins emphasized that prompt action must be taken to move expanded authority forward – and prevent drone incursions before a tragedy occurs. “An executive order alone on this issue is not enough. We need Congress to act,” said Robbins.
DOT’s Perspective: Urgency, Innovation, and Integration
Daniel (Dan) Edwards, Acting Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), followed Robbins in the Keynote address with a clear message: the U.S. must move faster to realize the benefits of drones and AAM.
“The longer we take to get new entrants into the airspace, the more that potential benefit is lost,” Edwards said. “The opportunity cost in lost time is a tax on this industry… and it’s one we don’t want to pay.”
He outlined the DOT’s approach:
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Publishing risk-based rules
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Using AI to speed up the waiver process
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Preparing the airspace to safely accommodate new technologies at scale
“We are at the point where the line is going to move logarithmically,” Edwards said, describing the accelerating pace of innovation in the airspace, saying that the agency is working on writing the rules of engagement for new entrants into the airspace. “The name of the game is to be a little bit ahead of the tech, not behind.”
He confirmed that the BVLOS NPRM is in its final review phase: “We are approaching the finish line,” he promised.
Edwards emphasized that the agency is developing a 10-year national plan for drones and AAM, currently under review. He stressed that implementation will require cooperation across federal agencies, research institutions, the private sector, and communities.
“We want to see operations move from research to real operations,” he said. “The good news is that we’re well on our way to leading the world in drones and AAM development.”
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