WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration is doubling the size of a federal drone-integration program as it works to shift advanced operations away from case-by-case waivers and toward broader rules governing routine flights in U.S. airspace.
The FAA will select up to eight additional state, local, tribal and territorial entities for Phase 2 of its BEYOND program, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy disclosed. The expansion will support testing of beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, public-safety missions, airport operations and other uses involving complex airspace.
The move is part of the FAA’s effort to establish a regulatory framework capable of accommodating larger-scale commercial and government drone operations within the National Airspace System.
“As drone technology continues to advance, the FAA is focused on building a regulatory framework that is safe, scalable and grounded in real-world data,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
Beyond-visual-line-of-sight, or BVLOS, operations are a significant component of that effort because they allow drones to travel beyond the area directly visible to their operators. Wider authorization of such flights could enable more extensive use of drones for activities including inspections, deliveries and public-safety operations.
Phase 1 participants conducted more than 70,000 flights, including more than 48,000 BVLOS operations, according to the Transportation Department. Data generated through those operations helped inform the FAA’s forthcoming BVLOS rule.
The program is intended to move advanced drone operations toward established regulatory standards rather than relying on individual waivers, which can limit the ability to deploy operations at scale.
“Phase 2 of BEYOND will expand the partnerships and operations needed to address remaining challenges in beyond visual line of sight operations, public safety missions, on-airport operations and other complex airspace environments,” Bedford said.
BEYOND originated from the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program established in 2017. The FAA launched the first phase of BEYOND in October 2020 as the pilot program’s successor, continuing partnerships among federal regulators, other levels of government and private industry.
Congress authorized Phase 2 under Section 920 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
Duffy framed the expansion as part of a broader push to keep development and testing of emerging aviation technology in the U.S., saying the department wants “the next generation of aviation technology” developed domestically.
Screening criteria and application information for prospective Phase 2 participants are available through the FAA website.
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