Month-Long Funding Lapse Sets Back Long-Term Programs at a Crucial Time

The FAA finally has a decent excuse to put its drone agenda on hold… and, of course, it comes at a crucial time for the industry’s future. With major updates in the works, including the long-awaited Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rulemaking, the agency is being forced to focus all its efforts on core safety work as the government shutdown drags on.

About 11,000 of the FAA’s 45,000 employees are currently off duty, leaving a smaller group focused on essential operations such as air traffic control and safety oversight. As a result, pretty much all non-safety-critical departments have been put on the back burner, including those tied to the drone industry’s regulatory framework.

Waiver and exemption processing have slowed tremendously. The FAA’s online portal is still open, but most staff who review submissions are unavailable. Only time-sensitive or safety-critical requests are being addressed. Commercial drone operators who depend on these authorizations for mapping, inspection, or infrastructure monitoring may now face weeks or months of delay.

The most visible damage is to the FAA’s BVLOS rulemaking effort. Before the shutdown, the agency had been reviewing thousands of public comments on the proposed Part 108 regulation, seen as the next major step for drone integration. With analysts furloughed, that work has stopped entirely, meaning the timeline for the rule’s release will inevitably slip.

Essential safety systems remain in place. Temporary Flight Restrictions and Notices to Airmen continue to be issued and enforced by the FAA’s limited active staff. Air traffic operations are running as smoothly as can be expected when controllers receive fat zeros on their paychecks.

Another crucial effort stalled in the shutdown is the FAA’s modernization initiative announced earlier this year by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The program was meant to overhaul radar, communications, and traffic management infrastructure to support drones and advanced air mobility operations.

FMI: www.faa.gov