FAA and EASA leaders take the stage together on the final day of Commercial UAV Expo 2026 for a candid comparison of transatlantic BVLOS regulation.
Las Vegas, NV, USA — July 16, 2026 — Commercial UAV Expo, the world’s leading commercial drone trade show and conference, has announced its second and final keynote for the 2026 event: “Two Skies, One Conversation: Comparing FAA and EASA Approaches to BVLOS Drone Operations.” The keynote will take place on Thursday, September 3, the final day of Commercial UAV Expo 2026, held September 1-3 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV. The session is open to all registrants, including holders of the Exhibit Hall Only Pass, the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit pass, the DRONERESPONDERS Program Management Course pass, and the Full Conference Pass.
As the commercial drone industry scales globally, no two questions matter more than how fast regulations are evolving and whether operators can count on consistency across borders. This moderated keynote panel brings together leaders from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for a candid conversation on the state of drone regulation in the United States and Europe.
Panelists will compare progress on beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, examining how the FAA and EASA are shaping scalable, routine flight BVLOS. The discussion will explore how each authority approaches operational waivers and exemptions, where risk-based frameworks like the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) and emerging U.S. approval pathways align, and where meaningful differences remain. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of where global regulatory frameworks are heading, what operators should watch for in the next phase of rulemaking, and how the FAA and EASA are learning from each other’s successes and setbacks in building a safer, more scalable drone ecosystem.
“The commercial drone industry is no longer a collection of regional markets. It is one global industry with shared ambitions and shared growing pains,” said Adrianne Madden, Event Director of Commercial UAV Expo. “Our job is to provide the place where regulators, end-users, service providers, and manufacturers from around the globe can connect face to face. Featuring the FAA and EASA in our final keynote of the 2026 event is a fitting reflection of the international community Commercial UAV Expo has become.”
“It’s rare to get the FAA and EASA on the same stage at the same time, and rarer still to hear them compare notes candidly in front of an audience,” said Matt Collins, Content Manager, Commercial UAV News. “This is a chance to hear two of the world’s most influential aviation authorities work through the industry’s most pressing challenges in real time, from how BVLOS is being scaled to how waivers, exemptions, and risk-based frameworks like the SORA are being applied.”
The keynote is included with every registration type, including the Exhibit Hall Only Pass, the most affordable pass available. Attendees who register for the Exhibit Hall Only Pass have full access to both the Opening Keynote on September 1 and the FAA and EASA keynote on September 3.
To learn more about the keynotes, visit www.expouav.com/keynotes.
For more information and to register, visit www.expouav.com.
About Commercial UAV Expo
Commercial UAV Expo, presented by Commercial UAV News, is an international conference and expo exclusively focused on commercial UAS integration and operation. The event will take place September 1-3, 2026, at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit www.expouav.com.
Commercial UAV Expo is produced by Diversified’s technology portfolio, which also includes Commercial UAV News, Geo Week, Geo Week News, Geo Business (UK), and Digital Construction Week (UK).
For more information about exhibiting at Commercial UAV Expo, visit the exhibitor information page or contact Carmella Perrone, Sales Manager, at [email protected] or +1-207-842-5646. For information on attending, visit www.expouav.com or email [email protected].
