FAA Regulation
Drone BVLOS Rules 2026: FAA Part 108 and EU U-Space — Page 2
Part 108 is in final review and could make routine BVLOS legal in the US. Europe regulated first and is now simplifying. Where both stand.
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Drone Delivery Hubs Now Face City Hall, Not the FAA
The FAA's July environmental finding removed site-by-site review for drone delivery hubs. City zoning and a court challenge are what is left.
Why a Drone on a Houston Highway Triggered No FAA Report
A Zipline drone parachuted onto Highway 6 on 4 September. No injury, no $500 of damage and no airworthiness certificate means no mandatory report.
DoorDash got an airline licence and kept its drone partners
DoorDash won FAA Part 135 certification in July and starts flying its own drones this autumn. Wing and Flytrex are partners, and now suppliers.
Wing and Flytrex share Dallas airspace, but not emergencies
The two flew 8,000 overlapping flights over two Texas suburbs with no conflicts. Neither system tells the other when an aircraft is in trouble.
Matternet Warns on Going Concern With Revenue Under $400,000
Matternet's SEC filings show $392,739 of revenue in the year to 30 September 2025, a $145.7M accumulated deficit and an auditor going-concern opinion.
Counter-Drone Rule Expects 1,850 Agencies; 46 Are Certified
The SAFER SKIES counter-UAS rule lets US police disable drones, but only about 46 agencies are trained against the 1,850 the government expects.
Chipotle Expands Zipline Drone Delivery to Two Texas Cities
Chipotle is expanding its Zipline drone delivery network to Fort Worth and Houston after encouraging early results in Rowlett, Texas.
SkyfireAI Raises $11M for Autonomous Multi-Drone Operations
SkyfireAI raised $11M to build AI software that lets one operator manage multiple drones for 911 and rescue missions.
Flytrex Sky2 Can Deliver Two Large Pizzas by Drone
Flytrex's Sky2 octocopter launches with Little Caesars in Texas, carrying nearly 9 pounds of food per delivery.
Drones Are Now a Core Risk at Major Public Events
A CIS white paper on FIFA World Cup 2026 security lays out how drones have become a frontline threat at large-scale public gatherings.
FAA Drops Criminal Threat for Drone Flights Near Vehicles
A photojournalist's case against the January ban is still open in the D.C. Circuit, six months after the FAA replaced it with a warning.
SoftBank Robotics Backs Matternet for US Drone Delivery
Matternet and SoftBank Robotics America partner to expand autonomous drone delivery in healthcare and enterprise logistics across the US.
DJI Lito X1: Sub-250g Drone Launches Without the US
DJI's Lito X1 weighs under 249g with a three-axis gimbal. It launched in April outside the US, where DJI says its authorization is pending.
Archer and Joby Still Have No FAA Type Certificate
Both named 2026 for their first Gulf passengers. With ten weeks left neither has launched, and FAA pilots have yet to fly Joby's aircraft for credit.
BETA and Joby Fly the First FAA eVTOL Pilot Program Missions
Eight projects in 26 states were picked in March. BETA's first flights used a fixed-wing plane; Joby flew air taxi routes around Dallas in September.
Corvus Robotics Cuts 65 Labor Hours Weekly With Drones
Southern Glazer's deployed 40+ Corvus One drones across nine US distribution centers, logging 5,000 flights and 35,000 flags.
Companies
Wing
Alphabet's drone delivery subsidiary, operating commercial package delivery in the United States and abroad, largely with Walmart.
United States
Amazon Prime Air
Amazon's drone delivery division, flying autonomous last-mile delivery in the US and UK and attempting a sixfold expansion of its service area in 2026.
United States
Zipline
US operator of autonomous drone delivery networks, running medical logistics in Africa and consumer delivery in the United States.
United States
Flytrex
Israeli drone delivery company flying suburban restaurant orders in Texas and North Carolina for DoorDash and Uber Eats under Causey Aviation's Part 135.
Israel
Skydio
US drone manufacturer building AI-powered autonomous aircraft, supplying NDAA-compliant enterprise and defense drones to agencies and operators.
United States
Archer Aviation
US eVTOL company developing the Midnight air taxi, now acquiring Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid to add autonomy and defense manufacturing.
United States
Boeing
Boeing is a US aerospace manufacturer with commercial-airplane, defense and space, and fleet-services businesses.
United States
DJI
Chinese private manufacturer of consumer, enterprise and agricultural drones, cameras and imaging systems.
China
Products
Antigravity A1
Antigravity (Insta360)
The first drone with a built-in 8K 360-degree camera, flown through goggles and a one-hand grip rather than sticks, at 249 g. New enough that nobody has flown it for a year, and $1,599 buys a way of flying as much as an aircraft.
DJI Mini 5 Pro
DJI
The first sub-250 g drone with a 1-inch sensor, and the best consumer drone you can buy in 2026 if you live somewhere DJI will sell it to you.
Potensic ATOM 2
Potensic
The most credible budget drone under 250 g, and the one non-DJI sub-250 g camera drone an American can still buy from a shop. Know that it has no obstacle avoidance before you buy.
DJI Air 3S
DJI
The best all-round camera drone DJI sells in the United States: a 1-inch main sensor, a 70 mm telephoto, 45 minutes and forward LiDAR, at a price that undercuts the Mavic line by half.
DJI Mini 4 Pro
DJI
The most capable sub-250g drone DJI has sold in the US, and the right choice for anyone who wants serious image quality without triggering registration for recreational flying in the US or Canada.
DJI Air 3
DJI
A dual-camera mid-range drone that covers most shooting scenarios for enthusiast creators, sitting cleanly between the Mini 4 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro in capability and price.
Funding
Seed
Mucker Capital, AI Fund, SaaS Ventures, Halogen, HBS Alumni Angels, New York Angels
SkyfireAISeries B
ARK Invest, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, Schooner Capital, Coca-Cola HBC, Molten Ventures, Enterprise Ireland, Tapestry
Manna AeroUndisclosed
Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, Tiger Global
ZiplineContracts
U.S. Navy
Boeing
Not-to-exceed IDIQ for system improvements, configuration development, integration, production…
U.S. Air Force
General Atomics
Contractor logistics support for Taiwan's MQ-9B drones through 31 August 2029, paid with Foreign…
U.S. Coast Guard
General Atomics
Order for four MQ-9B long-range drones with ground control stations and supporting equipment, placed…
U.S. Navy
Boeing
Not-to-exceed undefinitized modification for three MQ-25A Stingray low-rate initial production Lot 1…
U.S. Army
AeroVironment
Production of LOCUST X3 30 kW laser weapon systems under the Enduring-High Energy Laser programme…