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Civil Drone Industry Applications Update
Two rulebooks moved in 2026 without either one landing: EASA folded SORA 2.5 into its June revision, and the FAA's Part 108 sat in White House review past every deadline it had been given.
Overview
- EASA published the June 2026 revision of the Easy Access Rules for UAS, incorporating SORA 2.5 (ED Decision 2025/018/R). The open category keeps its existing limits — under 25 kg, visual line of sight, 120 m.
- The FAA published the Part 108 BVLOS proposal on 7 August 2025 (90 FR 38212, docket FAA-2025-1908). The draft final rule went to OIRA on 10 July 2026 and had not been published by early October 2026.
- For operators nothing changed in the meantime: European specific-category work still needs an authorisation or a declaration, and US BVLOS still needs a Part 107 waiver, a Section 44807 exemption, or a Section 927 waiver.
- EASA's NPA 2026-103 would drop the registration threshold to 100 g and widen the use of standard scenarios, but its own timeline points to first effects from mid-2028 and a complete framework no earlier than 2031.
Sources checked 9 October 2026: EASA Easy Access Rules for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (June 2026 revision); FAA Part 108, docket FAA-2025-1908, OIRA RIN 2120-AL82; EASA NPA 2026-103. Both files are still moving — verify against the current official text before you act.
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