SwissDrones Featured in Commercial UAV News: Regulatory Collaboration — The Key to Expanding UAS for BVLOS Operations
For the commercial UAV industry, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations represent the next major step toward unlocking large-scale, real-world applications, from long-range inspections and deliveries to emergency response and surveillance.
While technology is ready, regulation remains the deciding factor.
Today, countries around the world are advancing at different speeds: Europe’s SORA framework has set a widely adopted standard, and the U.S. FAA is progressing toward broader rules under the proposed Part 108. Yet, fragmented regulations still prevent seamless, cross-border BVLOS operations, slowing innovation across sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and public safety.
According to Lukas Obrist, CTO of SwissDrones, the path forward lies in collaboration and harmonization . Just as mutual recognition frameworks already exist in manned aviation, similar alignment in the UAV sector would accelerate certifications, strengthen safety oversight, and unlock the full potential of autonomous operations.
“We already have the technology and the framework,” Obrist says. “The opportunity now is to work together: across regulators, industries, and nations, to enable global scalability.”
If priorities align, certified UAVs could soon operate seamlessly across national airspaces, supported by low-orbit satellite connectivity and capable of performing routine BVLOS missions, from critical infrastructure inspection to environmental monitoring and unmanned logistics.
To get more insights on how regulatory harmonization will shape the future of UAV operations:
Read the full article: Regulatory Collaboration is the Key to Expanding UAS for BVLOS Operations
