INSTITUTION PROFILE / DRONES AND ROBOTICS
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The US regulator that writes the rules and certifies drones and eVTOL aircraft
The FAA is the aviation regulator inside the US Department of Transportation. It builds neither drones nor air taxis. Its job is to decide who may fly what, where and how in US airspace, and to certify aircraft and pilots. When articles on drones mention BVLOS, Part 107 or Part 108, they are naming FAA rules. This profile looks at one question: what the FAA can decide about drones and eVTOL aircraft, and what it cannot.
What this article covers
- The FAA in 30 seconds
- What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
- What it does for drones and robotics
- How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
- Who it works with
- Outlook
- Glossary, references and claim-to-source audit
1. The FAA in 30 seconds
FULL NAMEFederal Aviation Administration
FAAA civil aviation regulator
FAAA civil aviation regulator
COUNTRYUnited StatesHeadquarters in Washington, D.C.
TYPE OF BODYFederal regulatorPart of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Administrator as of October 2026: Bryan Bedford
ESTABLISHEDAugust 1958Federal Aviation Act signed. Renamed the FAA on 1 April 1967, when DOT began operating
STAFF45,992 (FTE)FY2025 actual. FY2026 enacted 44,846; FY2027 request 45,828. FTE means full-time equivalents
BUDGETUS$22.4 billionFY2027 request in the President’s budget. Not an amount enacted by Congress
ROLE IN DRONES AND ROBOTICSRules, registration, certificationRules for small drones, BVLOS flight and eVTOL aircraft
REACHUS airspaceForeign-made aircraft are covered when flown in the US
The one thing to grasp first
The FAA decides the rules and certification for flying. Which countries’ equipment may be sold in the US is decided by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), not the FAA. In its own FAQ the FCC says its 22 December 2025 listing of foreign-made drones (the Covered List) is “independent” of the regulatory regimes of agencies such as the FAA Sourced.
One more point. Part 108, the new rule meant to make beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone flight routine, was still only a proposed rule on 25 October 2026; no final rule had appeared in the Federal Register Not yet confirmed. The FAA Administrator told Congress on 15 September 2026 that the FAA expects to issue the final rule later this fall. That is an expectation, not a decision Sourced.
2. What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
The institutions that appear in drone and robotics articles do not build aircraft or robots themselves. What differs is the route by which they influence the industry, and that gives four types. The FAA is a regulator, influencing the industry through rules and certificates.
A regulator’s influence comes from two tools. (1) Writing rules: proposing them in the Federal Register, finalising them and bringing them into force. (2) Issuing certificates and permissions: pilot certificates, type certificates for aircraft designs, and approvals to depart from the rules (a waiver is a permission, an exemption is a release from a rule). The FAA holds both tools for drones and for eVTOL aircraft Sourced.
3. What it does for drones and robotics
The FAA’s work is easiest to read in three groups: small drones (rules in place), beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight (proposed rule only) and eVTOL aircraft (certification and operating framework being built) Our calculation. Status was checked on 25 October 2026.
| Area | Rule or programme | What it covers | Status (checked 25 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating small drones | 14 CFR Part 107 Final rule published 28 June 2016 (81 FR 42064) | Covers unmanned aircraft under 55 pounds at take-off. The remote pilot needs a remote pilot certificate. The aircraft must be kept in visual line of sight (107.31), at or below 400 feet above ground (except near structures), at no more than 87 knots ground speed. To depart from a rule, an operator applies for a waiver | In force since 29 August 2016 Sourced |
| Registration and Remote ID | 14 CFR Parts 48 and 89 Remote ID rule published 15 January 2021 (86 FR 4390) | Remote ID makes a registered aircraft broadcast identification and location by radio. It also applies to foreign civil unmanned aircraft flown in the US. The FAA’s website currently shows 837,513 registered drones and 481,760 certificated remote pilots (no as-of date is given) | In force Sourced |
| Flight over people | Part 107 rules on operations over people Published 15 January 2021 (86 FR 4314) | Sets the conditions under which drones may fly over people and over moving vehicles, depending on how hazardous the aircraft is | In force Sourced |
| Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) | Parts 108 and 146 Proposed rule published 7 August 2025 (90 FR 38212) | Would replace one-by-one waivers and exemptions with a standing, performance-based framework. Operations would be authorised in two tiers, a permit and a certificate. Aircraft up to 1,320 pounds would need “airworthiness acceptance”, and flights would be mainly below 400 feet above ground. Drones would have to yield to traffic broadcasting ADS-B Out. Part 146 would create a way to approve providers of traffic-management services | Proposed rule only. No final rule in the Federal Register Not yet confirmed |
| Restrictions over fixed sites | Proposed rule implementing section 2209 of the 2016 Act Published 6 May 2026 (91 FR 24650) | Would create a procedure for operators of certain fixed-site facilities to request and keep a flight restriction on nearby unmanned aircraft. Applicants would have to show it is needed, for example for aviation safety, protection of people and property, or national security | Proposed. Comments closed 6 July 2026 Not yet confirmed |
| Certifying eVTOL aircraft | 14 CFR 21.17(b), “special classes” of aircraft Joby (89 FR 17230, 8 March 2024), Archer (89 FR 45944, 24 May 2024) | Where no standard exists for a type of aircraft, the FAA sets appropriate criteria model by model and certifies against them. The Joby criteria took effect on 8 April 2024 and the Archer criteria on 24 June 2024 | Criteria in effect. We could not find, in FAA sources, a record that a type certificate has been issued Sourced |
| eVTOL pilots and operations | Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for powered-lift aircraft, 14 CFR Part 194 Final rule published 21 November 2024 (89 FR 92296) | A ten-year special rule setting pilot certification and operating rules for powered-lift aircraft. Effective 21 January 2025 (one part on 21 July 2025) | In force Sourced |
| Demonstration programmes | BEYOND; eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) | The FAA selected eight eIPP projects on 9 March 2026, spanning 26 states, with urban air taxis, cargo, emergency medical and offshore uses among them. The FAA says it will use the data to write new rules. It announced that operations would begin by summer 2026; we have not confirmed that they did | Selected. Start of operations: Not yet confirmed (not checked in this article) |
How far has Part 108 come?
The proposal swaps “a waiver or exemption, one operation at a time” for “fly if you meet the performance standards”. The FAA’s own preamble says it has so far allowed some beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations through individual exemptions and waivers Sourced. Note also that a Part 107 waiver can lift the visual-line-of-sight requirement (107.31), but the rule says no such waiver will be issued to carry other people’s property for compensation or hire (107.205). That is part of why parcel delivery has gone through other routes such as exemptions Sourced.
A materials engineer’s view: the unit of review is the aircraft
Section 21.17(b), the basis for eVTOL type certification, says the FAA fixes the requirements that apply to “a specific type design”. The Part 108 proposal likewise says maintenance standards would be set by the manufacturer and based on industry consensus standards Sourced. So the thing being reviewed is the whole aircraft design, not a grade of battery or material taken alone. A materials or component supplier would then probably receive the requirements through the aircraft maker. That is our reading of the text, and we have not checked any supply contract. Inference
4. How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
| Aspect | What the FAA has | What it does not have |
|---|---|---|
| Powers | Power to write rules on aviation safety and the efficient use of airspace, and to issue certificates, permissions and exemptions. A 2023 FAA and DOT document describes the FAA’s authority in these fields as exclusive | Authorisation of radio equipment and national-security listings (FCC). Operators’ security programs (TSA). The role of main allocator of research money |
| Geography | US airspace. Part 107 covers civil small unmanned aircraft in the US. The Remote ID rule also reaches foreign civil unmanned aircraft flown in the US | Other countries’ airspace and rules. We have not checked whether other countries refer to FAA rules |
| Split with states and localities | Aviation safety and airspace efficiency are federal fields, and state or local laws aimed at them are preempted (the 2023 FAA and DOT document’s reading) | Fields such as land use, privacy and trespass. The FAA’s document says states may generally regulate these |
| Binding force | Final rules in the Code of Federal Regulations are legally binding. A proposed rule (NPRM) is not binding while comments are being taken | Power to change the deadlines or direction that Congress sets by statute. The FAA Reauthorization Act asked for a BVLOS rule |
| Scale | 45,992 staff (FY2025 FTE). The Office of Advanced Aviation Technologies, the unit for drones and advanced aircraft, has 65 FTE in both FY2026 enacted and the FY2027 request, with a FY2026 enacted budget of US$34.95 million | No separate headcount for drone work alone is published |
How to read the numbers
The 45,992 is full-time equivalents (FTE), not a headcount. It comes from a table in the FY2027 budget submission. The US$22.4 billion is a request, not an amount enacted by Congress. The US fiscal year starts in October of the previous calendar year, so FY2027 began in October 2026. No budget figure is published for drones alone. The FY2027 request for 46 positions (23 FTE) of inspectors to handle unmanned-aircraft permits and certificates is about US$9.1 million (9.075 million), and that too is only a request Sourced.
5. Who it works with
We list only relationships stated in FAA documents or in the Federal Register.
| Organisation | Relationship to the FAA | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation Security Administration (TSA) | Issued the Part 108 proposal jointly with the FAA. Its security rules are meant to come in a separate final rule. After the FAA’s final rule, TSA plans closed roundtables with operators | Federal Register (90 FR 38212, 91 FR 56894) |
| Federal Communications Commission (FCC) | Handles radio equipment and the Covered List. The FCC says in its FAQ that the list is independent of the FAA’s rules | FCC FAQ |
| Congress and the President | The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (sections 930, 932 and others) directs FAA work. Executive Order 14307 set deadlines and the eIPP | FAA budget submission; Federal Register (90 FR 24727) |
| State and local governments | eIPP applicants are state, local, tribal and territorial governments partnering with private firms. The eight selected projects include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the transportation departments of Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania and Louisiana | Federal Register (90 FR 44751); FAA press release (9 March 2026) |
| eVTOL manufacturers | The FAA’s announcement names Archer, BETA, Electra, Joby, Wisk and Ampaire as partners in the selected eIPP projects. Joby and Archer are also the aircraft for which the FAA published model-specific certification criteria in the Federal Register. See also our Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation profiles | FAA press release (9 March 2026); Federal Register (89 FR 17230, 89 FR 45944) |
* We do not list individual drone makers here, because we did not check FAA sources for their exemptions or waivers. Being subject to FAA rules does not mean the FAA endorses a company.
6. Outlook
| What can be read from the evidence | Primary information it rests on | Category |
|---|---|---|
| The FAA expects the Part 108 final rule in the fall of 2026. However, both the statutory deadline (16 January 2026) and the regulatory-agenda target (July 2026) have passed | Administrator’s testimony (15 September 2026); regulatory agenda on reginfo.gov | Not yet confirmed |
| TSA’s final security rule and its roundtables with operators come after the FAA’s final rule | Federal Register notice of 4 September 2026. TSA says it may change the registration period for the roundtables after its final rule is published | Not yet confirmed |
| Data from eIPP flights is meant to become input to new rules for eVTOL operations | FAA press release (9 March 2026): the data will be used to develop new regulations | Not yet confirmed |
| Even after a final rule appears, until its effective date and transition are fixed, operations under existing exemptions and waivers will probably continue | The proposal’s preamble says current operations are allowed through individual exemptions and waivers. The effective date and transition are set in the final rule text | Inference |
| How far drones must yield to crewed aircraft will not be settled until the final text is seen | The 28 January 2026 reopening of comments covered electronic conspicuity and right of way. The proposal had drones yielding to traffic that broadcasts ADS-B | Inference |
7. Glossary
- BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight)
- Flying an aircraft where the pilot or an observer can no longer see it with their own eyes. Part 107 assumes visual line of sight (VLOS).
- Part 107
- Part 107 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations: rules for civil small drones under 55 pounds and for remote pilot certification.
- Part 108
- The proposed new rule for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight. On 25 October 2026 it was a proposed rule, with no final rule published.
- NPRM (notice of proposed rulemaking)
- A document in the Federal Register that sets out a draft rule and asks for comments before a final rule. It is not binding.
- Waiver and exemption
- Individual FAA permissions to depart from a rule. A standing rule reduces the number of operations that need them.
- Powered-lift
- An aircraft that takes off and lands vertically and gets lift from wings in forward flight. Many eVTOL aircraft fall in this class.
- Type certificate
- The FAA’s approval that an aircraft design meets safety criteria. For eVTOL aircraft there is no ready-made standard, so model-specific criteria are used.
- Remote ID
- A system by which a flying drone broadcasts identification and location by radio. Part 89 sets the rules.
- Covered List
- The FCC’s list of equipment that may not receive new radio authorisation for national-security reasons. It is separate from FAA rules.
- FTE (full-time equivalent)
- A staffing count that converts part-time work and part-year hires into whole full-time positions.
8. References
- FAA About FAA (mission and Administrator; page shows an update of 13 October 2026). https://www.faa.gov/about
- FAA A Brief History of the FAA (creation of the Federal Aviation Agency in 1958; DOT begins operating and the FAA is renamed, 1 April 1967). https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history
- US Department of Transportation FAA FY 2027 President’s Budget Submission (FTE table, size of the Office of Advanced Aviation Technologies, the unmanned-aircraft inspector request, statutory section numbers). https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/FAA_FY_2027_Budget_Estimates_CJ.pdf
- FAA Administrator’s testimony, “The Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Federal Aviation Administration” (15 September 2026: US$22.4 billion request; final BVLOS rule expected). https://www.faa.gov/testimony/testimony-bryan-bedford-faa-administrator-hearing-committee-appropriations-subcommittee
- FAA FAA By the Numbers (registered drones and certificated remote pilots; no as-of date; display checked on 25 October 2026). https://www.faa.gov/node/26
- eCFR 14 CFR Part 107 (107.1, 107.3, 107.31, 107.51, 107.200, 107.205). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107
- eCFR 14 CFR 89.101 (scope of the Remote ID rule). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-89.101
- eCFR 14 CFR 21.17 (criteria for special classes of aircraft). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-21.17
- Federal Register Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (81 FR 42064, 28 June 2016; effective 29 August 2016). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/06/28/2016-15079/operation-and-certification-of-small-unmanned-aircraft-systems
- Federal Register Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft (86 FR 4390, 15 January 2021). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2020-28948/remote-identification-of-unmanned-aircraft
- Federal Register Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Over People (86 FR 4314, 15 January 2021). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2020-28947/operation-of-small-unmanned-aircraft-systems-over-people
- Federal Register Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations (proposed rule, 90 FR 38212, 7 August 2025; comments until 6 October 2025). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14992/normalizing-unmanned-aircraft-systems-beyond-visual-line-of-sight-operations
- Federal Register Reopening of the comment period on the same proposal (91 FR 3695, 28 January 2026; electronic conspicuity and right of way; until 11 February 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/28/2026-01644/normalizing-unmanned-aircraft-systems-beyond-visual-line-of-sight-operations-reopening-of-comment
- reginfo.gov Regulatory agenda entry RIN 2120-AL82 (statutory deadline 16 January 2026; final-rule target July 2026). https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202510&RIN=2120-AL82
- Federal Register TSA notice on technical roundtables on the security of unmanned aircraft operating beyond visual line of sight (91 FR 56894, 4 September 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/04/2026-18124/notice-soliciting-representatives-for-technical-roundtables-on-security-of-unmanned-aircraft-systems
- Federal Register Designation – Restrict the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility (proposed rule, 91 FR 24650, 6 May 2026; comments until 6 July 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/06/2026-08943/designation-restrict-the-operation-of-unmanned-aircraft-in-close-proximity-to-a-fixed-site-facility
- Federal Register Executive Order 14307, Unleashing American Drone Dominance (90 FR 24727, published 11 June 2025; signed 6 June 2025). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/11/2025-10814/unleashing-american-drone-dominance
- Federal Register Integration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations (final rule, 89 FR 92296, 21 November 2024; effective 21 January 2025). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/21/2024-24886/integration-of-powered-lift-pilot-certification-and-operations-miscellaneous-amendments-related-to
- Federal Register Special Class Airworthiness Criteria for the Joby Aero, Inc. Model JAS4-1 Powered-Lift (89 FR 17230, 8 March 2024; effective 8 April 2024). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/08/2024-04690/airworthiness-criteria-special-class-airworthiness-criteria-for-the-joby-aero-inc-model-jas4-1
- Federal Register Special Class Airworthiness Criteria for the Archer Aviation, Inc. Model M001 Powered-Lift (89 FR 45944, 24 May 2024; effective 24 June 2024). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/24/2024-11192/airworthiness-criteria-special-class-airworthiness-criteria-for-the-archer-aviation-inc-model-m001
- Federal Register Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program: Announcement of Establishment of Program and Request for Proposals (90 FR 44751, 16 September 2025). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/16/2025-17844/electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing-and-advanced-air-mobility-integration-pilot-program-announcement-of-establishment-of-program-and-request-for-proposals
- FAA Press release on the eight eIPP selections (9 March 2026). https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/future-aviation-here-trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-and-faa-unveil-eight
- FAA and US Department of Transportation Fact Sheet (2023) on State and Local Regulation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (14 July 2023). https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/State-Local-Regulation-of-Unmanned-Aircraft-Systems-Fact-Sheet.pdf
- FCC Covered List FAQs: UAS and UAS Critical Components (explains the 22 December 2025 listing; says the list is independent of FAA and other agencies’ regimes). https://www.fcc.gov/covered-list-faqs-uas-and-uas-critical-components
9. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the article | Category | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A body within DOT; its mission; the Administrator’s name | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.faa.gov/about |
| Federal Aviation Act signed August 1958; renamed on 1 April 1967 when DOT began operating | Sourced | Reference 2 https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history |
| FTE of 45,992 (FY2025 actual), 44,846 (FY2026 enacted) and 45,828 (FY2027 request); 65 FTE and the budget of the advanced aviation office; the 46-position (23 FTE) inspector request; Reauthorization Act sections 930 and 932 | Sourced | Reference 3 https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/FAA_FY_2027_Budget_Estimates_CJ.pdf |
| FY2027 budget request of US$22.4 billion; the expectation of a final BVLOS rule later this fall (15 September 2026) | Sourced | Reference 4 https://www.faa.gov/testimony/testimony-bryan-bedford-faa-administrator-hearing-committee-appropriations-subcommittee |
| 837,513 registered drones and 481,760 certificated remote pilots (no as-of date) | Sourced | Reference 5 https://www.faa.gov/node/26 |
| Part 107 scope (under 55 pounds), visual line of sight, altitude and speed limits, what can be waived, and the bar on waivers for carrying others’ property for compensation | Sourced | Reference 6 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 |
| The Remote ID rule applies to foreign civil unmanned aircraft flown in the US | Sourced | Reference 7 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-89.101 |
| For special classes of aircraft the FAA sets the criteria that apply to a specific type design | Sourced | Reference 8 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-21.17 |
| Part 107 final rule (published 28 June 2016, effective 29 August) | Sourced | Reference 9 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/06/28/2016-15079/operation-and-certification-of-small-unmanned-aircraft-systems |
| Publication date of the Remote ID rule (15 January 2021) | Sourced | Reference 10 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2020-28948/remote-identification-of-unmanned-aircraft |
| Publication date of the operations-over-people rule (15 January 2021) | Sourced | Reference 11 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2020-28947/operation-of-small-unmanned-aircraft-systems-over-people |
| Content of the Parts 108 and 146 proposal (two tiers, 1,320 pounds, 400 feet above ground, yielding to ADS-B traffic, the ARC report of 10 March 2022, the May 2024 Act, today’s operations by individual exemptions and waivers, maintenance standards based on industry consensus standards) | Sourced | Reference 12 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14992/normalizing-unmanned-aircraft-systems-beyond-visual-line-of-sight-operations |
| Reopening of comments (28 January 2026, until 11 February) | Sourced | Reference 13 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/28/2026-01644/normalizing-unmanned-aircraft-systems-beyond-visual-line-of-sight-operations-reopening-of-comment |
| Statutory deadline of 16 January 2026 and agenda target of July 2026 for the final rule | Sourced | Reference 14 https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202510&RIN=2120-AL82 |
| TSA’s plan for roundtables (after the FAA final rule) and its separate security rule | Sourced | Reference 15 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/04/2026-18124/notice-soliciting-representatives-for-technical-roundtables-on-security-of-unmanned-aircraft-systems |
| Proposed rule on restrictions over fixed sites (6 May 2026; comments until 6 July) | Sourced | Reference 16 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/06/2026-08943/designation-restrict-the-operation-of-unmanned-aircraft-in-close-proximity-to-a-fixed-site-facility |
| Signing date of Executive Order 14307 (6 June 2025) and its direction to publish a final rule within 240 days | Sourced | Reference 17 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/11/2025-10814/unleashing-american-drone-dominance |
| The powered-lift special rule (published 21 November 2024, effective 21 January 2025) | Sourced | Reference 18 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/21/2024-24886/integration-of-powered-lift-pilot-certification-and-operations-miscellaneous-amendments-related-to |
| Joby criteria (published 8 March 2024, effective 8 April) | Sourced | Reference 19 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/08/2024-04690/airworthiness-criteria-special-class-airworthiness-criteria-for-the-joby-aero-inc-model-jas4-1 |
| Archer criteria (published 24 May 2024, effective 24 June) | Sourced | Reference 20 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/24/2024-11192/airworthiness-criteria-special-class-airworthiness-criteria-for-the-archer-aviation-inc-model-m001 |
| Establishment of the eIPP and eligibility of state, local, tribal and territorial governments as applicants | Sourced | Reference 21 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/16/2025-17844/electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing-and-advanced-air-mobility-integration-pilot-program-announcement-of-establishment-of-program-and-request-for-proposals |
| Eight eIPP selections (9 March 2026), 26 states, partner companies, use of the data for new rules, the announcement of operations by summer 2026 | Sourced | Reference 22 https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/future-aviation-here-trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-and-faa-unveil-eight |
| Aviation safety and airspace efficiency are federal fields and state law is preempted; land use, privacy and the like may generally be regulated by states (the FAA and DOT reading) | Sourced | Reference 23 https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/State-Local-Regulation-of-Unmanned-Aircraft-Systems-Fact-Sheet.pdf |
| The Covered List additions of 22 December 2025, and the FCC’s statement that the list is independent of FAA rules | Sourced | Reference 24 https://www.fcc.gov/covered-list-faqs-uas-and-uas-critical-components |
| Whether the final Part 108 rule had been published as of 25 October 2026 | Not yet confirmed | Our own check: a Federal Register search on 25 October 2026 found no final rule. Not a statement by the FAA |
| Whether an eVTOL type certificate has been issued | Not yet confirmed | No record in the FAA sources above (References 3 and 22). This article does not estimate it |
| When eIPP operations actually began | Not yet confirmed | Reference 22 gives only the plan (by summer 2026). This article did not check actual start dates |
| Staff numbers and budget for drone work alone | Not yet confirmed | Not stated in Reference 3 (the 65 FTE figure is for the whole advanced aviation office). This article does not estimate it |
| The grouping into four types of institution, the Part 108 timeline, the can-decide and cannot-decide split, and the three-way grouping of the FAA’s work | Our calculation | Our own arrangement of the sources |
| The readings in sections 3 and 6 (supplier position, transition after the final rule, right of way) | Inference | This article’s reading of the text and preamble in References 8, 12 and 13 |
Last updated 25 October 2026 / Troy Technical
Figures come from official FAA, DOT, Federal Register, eCFR and FCC material. This field moves quickly, and the status of each rule is as of the date checked. Items marked “Inference” are this article’s reading of the primary information.