FAA and EASA on the Path to Regulatory Convergence for BVLOS Operations

This webinar is a replay of a keynote panel from Commercial UAV Expo 2026. BVLOS operations are already happening across both the U.S. and Europe, but getting those operations normalized and scalable, in a way that works for operators with global footprints, requires regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to find common ground. The FAA and EASA share the same end goal of a safe, integrated airspace for crewed and uncrewed aviation alike, but they're taking notably different paths to get there.

Featuring Robert Reckert, acting division manager of the Emerging Technologies Division within Flight Standards at the FAA, and Daan Dousi, head of department for Innovative Air Mobility at EASA, and moderated by Julie Garland, CEO of Avtrain, this discussion offers a rare side-by-side look at how the world's two largest aviation regulators are thinking about the future of uncrewed flight.

The conversation covers:

• Part 108 and the road to a final rule: where the FAA's rulemaking process stands and how pilot programs like the eIPP are shaping the data behind it
• SORA and Europe's risk-based approach: how EASA sorts operations by ground and air risk, and the steps taken to simplify implementation since 2019
• Diverging philosophies, shared safety outcomes: how "enable then regulate" and "regulate then simplify" approaches can still converge on comparable safety results
• Public perception across the Atlantic: cultural differences in how the U.S. and Europe view use cases like delivery, and what it takes to build public trust
• What regulatory convergence could look like: the bilateral work already underway between the FAA and EASA, and what still needs to happen for operators with global footprints

This session is relevant for operators, program managers, and industry stakeholders who need to understand how U.S. and European drone regulations are evolving, and what a more harmonized global regulatory environment could mean for their operations.