The Federal Aviation Administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking on August 7, 2025, to establish performance-based regulations for unmanned aircraft systems operating beyond visual line of sight. The official document, titled "Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations," outlines the agency’s plan to integrate these aircraft into the national airspace system.
This proposed rule aims to create a predictable pathway for routine and scalable UAS operations. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directed the development of this regulatory framework. The proposed rules would cover low-altitude operations and support third-party services, including UAS Traffic Management. The changes are designed to facilitate various activities, such as package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, civic interest projects, operations training, demonstrations, recreation, and flight testing.
The notice also mentions complementary changes to Transportation Security Administration regulations to ensure security measures can continue under the current civil aviation structure.
Operators and stakeholders can submit comments on the proposal by October 6, 2025. The document is filed under Docket No. FAA-2025-1908, Notice No. 25-07. The proposed rule affects several parts of the Code of Federal Regulations, including Part 107 for small drones, Part 43 for maintenance, Part 45 for N-number marking, and Part 91 for general operating rules. It also touches on Parts 36, 48, 89, 108, 119, 133, 135, 137, 146, 1540, and 1544.
Summary written for CheckAero from the official document. It is not legal advice; read the full text before acting.