Commercial UAV Expo has announced a keynote comparing FAA and EASA approaches to BVLOS drone operations and the future of shared airspace regulation. Read more at UASweekly.com.
Commercial UAV Expo has announced its second and final keynote for the 2026 event. The Commercial UAV Expo keynote will bring representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency together to compare their approaches to beyond visual line of sight drone operations.
Titled “Two Skies, One Conversation: Comparing FAA and EASA Approaches to BVLOS Drone Operations,” the session will take place on September 3 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.
Commercial UAV Expo Keynote Compares FAA and EASA Policies
The moderated keynote panel will examine the current state of commercial drone regulation in the United States and Europe.
Panelists from the FAA and EASA will discuss how both aviation authorities are developing regulatory pathways for scalable and routine BVLOS operations.
The discussion will address:
- Progress on BVLOS drone operations
- Operational waivers and exemptions
- Risk-based regulatory frameworks
- The Specific Operations Risk Assessment, or SORA
- Emerging U.S. approval pathways
- Similarities and differences between FAA and EASA policies
- Future phases of commercial drone rulemaking
The session will also examine how the two authorities are using lessons from their respective regulatory successes and setbacks.
BVLOS Drone Operations Take Center Stage
Commercial UAV Expo said the keynote is intended to provide attendees with a clearer understanding of where global drone regulations are heading.
The panel will focus on whether operators can expect greater regulatory consistency across international markets as the commercial drone industry expands.
“The commercial drone industry is no longer a collection of regional markets. It is one global industry with shared ambitions and shared growing pains,” said Adrianne Madden, Event Director of Commercial UAV Expo. “Our job is to provide the place where regulators, end-users, service providers, and manufacturers from around the globe can connect face to face. Featuring the FAA and EASA in our final keynote of the 2026 event is a fitting reflection of the international community Commercial UAV Expo has become.”
Commercial UAV Expo Keynote Addresses Shared Airspace
The session will provide attendees with an opportunity to hear the FAA and EASA compare their approaches to some of the commercial drone industry’s primary regulatory challenges.
“It’s rare to get the FAA and EASA on the same stage at the same time, and rarer still to hear them compare notes candidly in front of an audience,” said Matt Collins, Content Manager, Commercial UAV News. “This is a chance to hear two of the world’s most influential aviation authorities work through the industry’s most pressing challenges in real time, from how BVLOS is being scaled to how waivers, exemptions, and risk-based frameworks like the SORA are being applied.”
Keynote Available to All Commercial UAV Expo Registrants
The keynote will take place on Thursday, September 3, the final day of Commercial UAV Expo 2026. The event is scheduled for September 1-3 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The session is included with every registration type, including:
- Exhibit Hall Only Pass
- DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit pass
- DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course pass
- Full Conference Pass
Exhibit Hall Only Pass holders will have access to both the opening keynote on September 1 and the FAA and EASA keynote on September 3.
The final Commercial UAV Expo keynote will focus on how the FAA and EASA are approaching BVLOS operations, risk-based approvals and the development of a safer and more scalable commercial drone ecosystem.
Source: Press release from Commercial UAV Expo
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