Over the last 12 months, the commercial drone industry has seen waves of change. From advancements in technology to drones in the mainstream media, this year has been anything but dull. Here at Commercial UAV News, a few topics have remained constant in conversation, and high readership on certain articles showed us just how important these topics were this year.

In the spring, efforts to ban foreign-made drones, specifically those made in China, in U.S. commercial operations had begun. As of yesterday, the FCC has officially added foreign-made UAS and components to the covered list. This means that any new products made outside of the United States are not allowed for commercial use. Any older models of foreign made drones that are currently being operated and sold in the U.S. are acceptable. This restriction only applies to new products.

In the article “No DJI Ban Yet, But US Customs Already Stopping Some Drones at Border” we saw the immediate repercussions of even the idea of this ban. This article dissected the justifications of stopping the drones at the border, which have more to do with labor practices than security issues. This piece featured a firsthand perspective on how this supply chain disruption had dire effects on those in the states that use DJI equipment and who make a living selling drones.

While many were grieving during this supply chain hold-up, others looked at a possible silver lining of a DJI ban, except it hasn’t fully come to fruition. In the article “Why Has the Looming DJI Ban Not Translated into a Boom for American-Made Drones?”  Juan Plaza broke down what every member of the drone industry was wondering. The impending ban would prevent any group that receives federal funding who are using DJI drones, like first responders and public safety groups. As a result, we would expect that American-made drones, such as the ones on the Blue UAS list, would spike in sales and manufacturing. But this wasn’t the case. It’s proven to be difficult to compete with DJI’s prices, ease of use, and customer support.

Shortly after talks of a DJI ban started, President Trump signed two executive orders “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” and “Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty.” These orders were meant to reduce regulatory barriers for BVLOS operations. The article “Will Executive Orders to Enable BVLOS Operations Reshape the Drone Industry?” looked at the two elements that the orders would affect; DJI and timing around official rulings.

Other headlines that caught the industry’s attention revolved around two major drone companies going public, and how the current airspace regulations are outdated.

The article “Archer and Joby: The Difference Between First-to-Market and Market Leader” looked at how unconventional aviation is beginning to make headway into the market. Both Archer and Joby had goals of providing eVTOL aircraft services, or air taxis as they are commonly referred to. Not only does this piece offer a glimpse into the future of aviation, it also showed what private drone companies can accomplish when they become publicly traded.

Lastly, the industry took a keen interest in the article “The Elephant in the Airspace: How Outdated Approaches Ground America's Aviation Leadership” which spoke to the fact that the current airspace regulations and practices are outdated and require big changes in order to successfully incorporate today’s technology. This article will be a good reference piece in 2026 as the industry progresses.