U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has unveiled Phase 2 of the FAA’s BEYOND programme, doubling its size by adding up to eight state, local, tribal and territorial participants. The expansion is designed to accelerate advanced drone operations and support broader integration of unmanned aircraft into the US national airspace system from Washington, D.C.
The FAA said the next phase will build on earlier work to address the remaining barriers to routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, public safety missions and operations in more complex airspace. The programme is also intended to support continued testing of new aviation concepts and technologies under authority granted in the FAA Reauthorisation Act of 2024.
The additional lead participants will help expand the programme’s footprint beyond its current structure and provide more real-world data for policy and operational development. The move is directly relevant to drone operators, regulators and companies pursuing scaled commercial services, including longer-range and more advanced unmanned aircraft missions.