Company narrows focus to digital conspicuity and right-of-way as February 11 deadline approaches
Simply two days remaining to remark, because the Federal Aviation Administration reopened a slender portion of its proposed rule to allow routine drone flights past visible line of sight (BVLOS) on January 28. The reopened remark interval applies to the company’s BVLOS Discover of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and is restricted to 2 unresolved parts of the proposal: digital conspicuity and right-of-way. Each points sit on the heart of how drones would detect and keep away from different plane when working with out visible observers, and each generated intensive and conflicting suggestions through the authentic remark interval.
The transfer follows the FAA’s earlier choice to shut the unique BVLOS remark interval and deny requests for an extension. By reopening feedback solely on these matters, the company indicators that whereas it’s dedicated to finalizing a BVLOS framework, key technical questions round airspace integration stay unresolved.
A slender reopening
The FAA emphasised that the reopened remark interval is restricted in scope.
“The FAA is reopening the remark interval to hunt further public enter on digital conspicuity and the related detect and keep away from necessities proposed within the NPRM.”
Digital conspicuity refers to applied sciences that permit plane to broadcast their place to others. The FAA underscored its significance for operations carried out with out visible observers.
“Digital conspicuity would help the flexibility of different airspace customers to concentrate on unmanned plane operations, notably when these plane are working past visible line of sight.”
On the identical time, the company acknowledged a elementary limitation that complicates BVLOS integration.
“The FAA acknowledges that not all plane are outfitted with digital conspicuity and subsequently considers these plane to be non-cooperative.”
Proper-of-way stays unsettled
The FAA can be in search of additional enter on how right-of-way guidelines ought to apply to BVLOS operations, notably in low-altitude airspace the place drones could encounter a mixture of cooperative and non-cooperative plane.
“The FAA can be in search of further touch upon right-of-way guidelines relevant to unmanned plane operations carried out past visible line of sight.”
The company immediately linked right-of-way inquiries to detect-and-avoid efficiency.
“Proper-of-way necessities are intently associated to detect and keep away from capabilities, notably in environments the place non-cooperative plane could also be current.”
These points had been among the many most closely debated within the authentic remark interval, with stakeholders elevating issues about blended equipage, scalability, and the real-world limits of present surveillance applied sciences.
What will not be reopened
The FAA was express that the reopening doesn’t apply to the remainder of the proposal.
“The FAA will not be reopening the remark interval for different facets of the NPRM.”
Operational classes, pilot tasks, airworthiness ideas, and authorization buildings stay unchanged and outdoors the scope of additional remark.
What occurs subsequent
The reopened remark interval closes February 11, 2026. Submissions throughout this window will inform how the FAA finalizes necessities for digital conspicuity and right-of-way, two parts that may form how BVLOS operations operate in shared airspace.
Because the FAA strikes towards a last rule, the slender focus suggests the talk has shifted. The query is now not whether or not BVLOS will probably be normalized, however how drones can safely combine into an airspace the place not each plane might be seen, linked, or predicted.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory atmosphere for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the industrial drone house and is a world speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand spanking new applied sciences.
For drone trade consulting or writing, E-mail Miriam.
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