2 Rules Under Review Could Reshape U.S. Commercial Drone Operations

Industry for years has clamored for the regulations, believing they will open the floodgates for UAV delivery and other services.

Jack Daleo

Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Luke Venable

A Wing drone delivers a DoorDash order through the skies over Charlotte, North Carolina. [Courtesy: Wing]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. government is reviewing two long-awaited FAA regulations, Part 108 and Section 2209, aimed at significantly expanding and regulating commercial drone operations nationwide.
Part 108 will enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations without requiring special waivers, allowing for greater scalability in commercial applications like deliveries.
Section 2209 will permit sensitive facilities (e.g., critical infrastructure) to establish drone-specific flight restrictions, balancing operational expansion with security needs.
Industry experts view these regulations as interdependent, emphasizing their joint importance for fostering innovation while ensuring safety and security in the rapidly evolving drone sector.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. government’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is reviewing a pair of regulations that could open the floodgates for commercial drone operations nationwide.

The Department of Transportation this month announced that Secretary Sean Duffy submitted the FAA’s highly anticipated proposals for Part 108 and Section 2209 to OIRA. The OIRA interagency review is the final step before the proposed rules—which have languished in regulatory limbo for years—are published in the Federal Register for public comment.