As we look ahead to what 2026 will bring for the commercial drone industry, it is clear that the year ahead is set to be a significant one for the trajectory of this sector. Honing in specifically on the U.S., regulatory issues such as the FCC’s addition of all foreign-made drones and components to the Covered List and uncertainty regarding implementation is going to have a significant impact for both operators and OEMs in the United States and abroad. The final rule for Part 108, following the release of the FAA’s NPRM last summer, is expected at some point in the year to come and will signal a major shift in the industry. 

Zooming out to the industry as a whole, once futuristic use cases will become ever closer to reality, with sectors like drone delivery poised for a massive leap forward in 2026, and other AAM subsectors expected to become closer to being part of our everyday lives. And of course, technologies like AI and automation are only continuing to improve, changing the way work is done at every step of the industry.

With such a pivotal year for the industry coming, this week seemed like a perfect one to zoom out and take stock of what the sector should be looking toward over the next 12 months. To do that, we recently spoke with Jason San Souci, a wearer of many hats in the industry, for our latest episode of Uncrewed Views.

In the episode, San Souci dives into the topics above and speaks about the general direction he thinks the industry will take. Specifically, he talks about how this is a big year for the industry to decide who they want to be, both in terms of what was referred to as a Big-I Industry – i.e., everybody working with commercial drones – as well as specific industries such as public safety, surveying, and more. 

He also discusses some of the key takeaways from the regulatory aspects discussed above, including why it’s time for people who aren’t serious about the future of the industry to leave it, and the glass-half-full perspective of the FCC ruling. 

This overarching discussion is a perfect way to start 2026 and get the industry prepared for the year to come. You can download and listen to the podcast by following the link below, or searching for Uncrewed Views wherever you listen to podcasts.

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