GPS World

Tag: Part 108

  • AirData UAV joins the Commercial Drone Alliance ahead of Part 108 adoption

    AirData UAV joins the Commercial Drone Alliance ahead of Part 108 adoption

    The U.S. commercial drone industry is at an inflection point. After years of incremental progress, the FAA’s landmark Part 108 Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rule is expected to take effect later this year, unlocking a new era of scaled commercial drone operations across delivery, infrastructure inspection, public safety, perimeter protection and beyond. It’s a pivotal moment for drone operators to get ahead of the most significant regulatory shift the commercial drone industry has seen.

    Today, AirData UAV announced it is joining the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), bringing its operational platform into the industry’s broadest coalition for drone policy and progress. As a member of the CDA, AirData will actively contribute to the policies and standards that will define the next chapter of the U.S. drone economy through the CDA.

    Part 108 introduces sweeping new operational requirements across pre-, during and post-flight documentation, personnel roles, risk-categorized operational areas, and mandatory continuous data reporting, and AirData’s platform is already built to meet them.

    “We are at a critical moment for the drone economy,” said Lisa Ellman, Chief Executive Officer of the Commercial Drone Alliance. “As the industry moves toward broader BVLOS operations and frameworks like Part 108, access to scalable, reliable operational data such as that which AirData provides will help to safely unlock the full potential of the drone economy.”

    Credit: AirData UAV

    AirData’s platform delivers the tools operators will need to meet Part 108’s requirements, including: checklists, automated compliance documentation, flight logging across every mission, and fleet-wide analytics that give program managers visibility into operational risk. With more than 61 million flights across 450,000 pilots and 850,000 drones globally, AirData has been building the compliance infrastructure the industry now needs.

    As the industry’s leading policy advocate, the CDA has been central to advancing the regulatory frameworks. The CDA is an independent non-profit organization led by key members of the commercialdrone industry. It works to educate policymakers and the public on the safe integration of drones into the national airspace and to advocate for policies that enable commercial drone operations.

    “We have long served as the intelligence backbone for drone
    operations,” Eran Steiner, CEO and founder of AirData UAV. “We look forward to leveraging our data, insights, and experience to enable scalable, compliant, and mission-critical drone programs, particularly as frameworks like Part 108 unlock the next phase of scaled BVLOS operations in the United States.”

    AirData’s platform gives public safety agencies, enterprise operators, and drone programs of every size the maintenance documentation, pilot currency tracking, asset management, checklist discipline, and operational data history that regulators will expect when Part 108 takes effect.

  • UAV companies discuss FAA BVLOS policy at White House

    UAV companies discuss FAA BVLOS policy at White House

    Representatives from 18 drone technology companies — including AgEagle Aerial Systems, uAvionix, BRINC, Kelly Hills and Pierce Aerospace — participated in a second high-level, invitation-only policy discussion with the White House, hosted by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). This most recent engagement was centered on the proposed FAA Rule Part 108, which will define the regulatory framework for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations across the United States.

    The finalization of FAA Rule Part 108 is expected to replace the current piecemeal waiver-based system, providing a more predictable, scalable, and innovation-friendly regulatory environment.

    Enactment of Part 108 would remove operational barriers, drive capital investment, and unlock next-generation drone technologies that enhance both commercial and public sector applications, explained AgEagle CEO Bill Irby.

    “This follow-up invitation by OIRA reaffirms the strategic importance of expanding BVLOS operations for the domestic drone industry,” Irby said. “Thoughtful and timely rulemaking can accelerate innovation, improve safety and compliance, and strengthen the U.S. position as a global leader in drone technology. Of particular value was the discussion of how streamlined regulation will allow broader deployment of autonomous data solutions and open the door for increased economic activity.”

    The engagement was made possible in part through the leadership and coordination of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), who played key roles in facilitating industry participation and ensuring productive dialogue between the private sector and federal stakeholders.