The FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule for routine beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations has advanced to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), marking a significant step toward publication. OIRA review is one of the final stages of the federal rulemaking process, during which regulations undergo interagency review to evaluate their legal, policy, and economic impacts before formal publication in the Federal Register.
NATA supports a safe, scalable regulatory framework for routine BVLOS operations but has urged the FAA to ensure that safety and conspicuity remain at the forefront. Last week, NATA joined a coalition of 12 aviation associations in a follow-up letter to the FAA on the proposed rule, asking for continued and targeted review of detect-and-avoid requirements for BVLOS operations.
Throughout the rulemaking process, NATA has advocated for a practical, safety-focused framework that enables innovation while maintaining the highest levels of aviation safety. In comments filed last October, NATA called for crewed aircraft to retain right-of-way in all airspaces, BVLOS operators to have detect-and-avoid capabilities for both cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft, and stronger protections for airports, low-altitude aviation operations, and other existing airspace users.
The Part 108 rule, received by OIRA on July 10, will not become public until the review is completed and the rule is released for publication.