FAA Launches BEYOND Phase 2 to Expand Drone Integration

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the launch of Phase 2 of its BEYOND program on August 27, 2026, aiming to double the initiative’s size by adding up to eight new lead participants to advance drones integration into the National Airspace System (NAS).

In a press release issued by the agency, officials confirmed the expansion targets remaining regulatory and operational hurdles for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, public safety missions, and on-airport drone activities. The program’s second phase was authorized under Section 920 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

Building on Phase 1 milestones

The BEYOND initiative originally launched in October 2020 as the successor to the 2017 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. During the first phase, participating entities generated substantial operational data to inform future rulemaking and safety protocols.

According to the FAA, Phase 1 participants logged more than 70,000 total flights. Of those, more than 48,000 were conducted beyond visual line of sight. This data collection is intended to help regulators understand the safety and scalability of complex drone operations across various sectors.

“As drone technology continues to advance, the FAA is focused on building a regulatory framework that is safe, scalable and grounded in real-world data,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated in the release. “Phase 2 of BEYOND will expand the partnerships and operations needed to address remaining challenges in beyond visual line of sight operations, public safety missions, on-airport operations and other complex airspace environments.”

Strategic expansion and regulatory push

For Phase 2, the FAA will select up to eight additional state, local, tribal, and territorial entities to serve as lead participants. These new partners will join existing participants in testing advanced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capabilities in complex airspace environments.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy framed the expansion as a critical step for maintaining global competitiveness in aerospace technology and manufacturing.

“America leads the world in aviation, and this expansion will help keep it that way,” Duffy said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department is cutting through barriers, advancing innovation and making sure the next generation of aviation technology is developed, tested and built right here in the United States.”

The BEYOND Phase 2 announcement follows a series of recent aviation modernization initiatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). On August 6, 2025, Duffy introduced a proposed rule for BVLOS drone operations, known as Part 108, designed to establish a consistent regulatory framework for scaling commercial drone missions. The department has also announced major infrastructure investments throughout August 2026, including a $615 million allocation for airport improvements and the opening of a new manufacturing plant for air traffic control modernization.

AirPro News analysis

We view the launch of BEYOND Phase 2 as a necessary bridge between the experimental data collection of the past decade and the impending codification of Part 108. By specifically targeting on-airport operations and public safety missions, the FAA is shifting its focus toward high-risk, high-value environments where integration with crewed aircraft is unavoidable. The addition of up to eight new municipal or tribal entities suggests the agency recognizes that local infrastructure and community acceptance remain significant bottlenecks for scaled UAS operations. The data gathered in this second phase will likely serve as the operational baseline for finalizing the Part 108 BVLOS rules.

Sources: Federal Aviation Administration