GAO Report on FAA Drone Communication and Avoidance Planning
Summary
The GAO released a report highlighting the FAA's progress and shortcomings in developing two-way communication and detect-and-avoid technologies for drones. The report recommends the FAA establish clear roles and milestones to ensure drones can safely communicate with and avoid other aircraft.
What changed
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report (GAO-26-107648) detailing concerns regarding the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) planning for drone communication and collision avoidance. While the FAA has proposed rules requiring drones to detect and avoid other aircraft, the GAO found that the agency has not identified specific actions, roles, or milestones to advance the development of crucial two-way communication technologies necessary for a future information-centric National Airspace System (NAS).
This report implies that regulated entities, particularly drone manufacturers and operators, should anticipate future regulatory developments and potential mandates related to enhanced communication and avoidance systems. The GAO's recommendation to the FAA to develop and implement specific actions suggests a need for industry stakeholders to prepare for evolving safety standards and technological requirements. While no immediate compliance deadline is stated, the FAA is tasked with developing an integrated plan for the future NAS by May 2027, indicating a medium-term horizon for significant advancements in this area.
What to do next
- Review GAO report GAO-26-107648 for detailed findings and recommendations.
- Monitor FAA's progress in developing performance-based standards and safety requirements for drone communication technologies.
- Prepare for potential future regulatory changes regarding drone detect-and-avoid and two-way communication capabilities.
Source document (simplified)
GAO-26-107648 Published: Feb 04, 2026. Publicly Released: Feb 04, 2026.
Fast Facts
Commercial drones are flying further distances, including for package delivery and public safety operations.
But existing technologies don’t allow for two-way communication between drones and other aircraft, which could help avoid potential collisions. The Federal Aviation Administration proposed rules in 2025 that would require drones to be able to detect and avoid other aircraft. However, FAA has not identified further actions to help move toward two-way communications.
We recommended FAA develop and implement such actions—including establishing roles and milestones to ensure drones can communicate with and avoid other aircraft.
Examples of Drones Used for Preparing and Executing Delivery Services in North Texas
A small drone waiting to be deployed.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working to further enable drone operations such as drone delivery. Currently, drone operators must obtain a waiver or exemption from FAA to fly beyond their visual line of sight and show, among other things, how they will detect and avoid other aircraft. Existing technologies that can be used for that purpose include those that use GPS, sensors, or radar. Specifically, drones can use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to detect and avoid manned aircraft that use ADS-B to broadcast their position information using GPS. Camera or acoustic sensors, or ground radar, can also be used to detect aircraft that are not broadcasting. FAA-approved waivers have mostly relied on ADS-B, which drone stakeholders said is more effective than sensors or radar. Some stakeholders said that using other technologies with ADS-B could be a safer option but presents challenges such as increased weight, affecting safety.
Drone Receiving an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Signal and Using a Camera to Detect Aircraft
FAA envisions a future National Airspace System (NAS) that is information-centric, where all airspace users, including drones, share location information electronically. According to FAA, limitations with existing technologies require the development of a new technology that, unlike ADS-B, enables two-way communication between drones and other aircraft. FAA officials said it intends to develop performance-based standards and safety requirements for industry to use in developing that technology. In August 2025, FAA proposed new regulations that would require drones flying beyond visual line of sight of the operator to detect and avoid other aircraft. However, FAA has not identified specific actions such as clear roles or technical milestones timelines, which could help FAA and industry move toward two-way communication between drones and other aircraft. Congress tasked FAA with the responsibility to develop an information-centric NAS and develop an integrated plan for the future NAS by May 2027. Developing specific actions could build upon FAA’s drone integration efforts and help ensure safety for all airspace users in the future NAS.
Why GAO Did This Study
Drones are the fastest-growing segment of U.S. aviation, according to FAA. In 2025, FAA forecasted that the commercial drone fleet would exceed one million by the end of 2025 and grow to 1.18 million by 2029. Operators are starting to use drones for activities including package delivery and public safety. With increasing drone activity, there are growing concerns about potential collisions between drones and other aircraft.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 requires GAO to review technologies for drones to detect and avoid manned aircraft at low altitudes. This report examines technologies available for drones to detect and avoid manned aircraft, stakeholder perspectives on these technologies; and FAA’s plans for drone operations in an information-centric NAS.
GAO reviewed FAA documents related to integrating drones into the national airspace, including documents related to detect and avoid technology. GAO interviewed FAA and 24 stakeholders from industry and government. GAO focused on small drones (defined as those weighing less than 55 pounds) because they fly at low altitude and provisions for this review in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 specified that GAO focus on low-altitude airspace.
Recommendations
GAO is making one recommendation to FAA to develop and begin implementing specific actions, including establishing clear federal and nonfederal roles and technical milestones, to ensure that drones can communicate with and detect and avoid other aircraft within an information-centric NAS. The Department of Transportation concurred with this recommendation.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Federal Aviation Administration | The Administrator of FAA should develop and begin implementing specific actions, including but not limited to establishing clear federal and nonfederal roles, estimated costs, and technical milestones, to ensure that drones will be capable of communicating with and detecting and avoiding other aircraft within an information-centric NAS. (Recommendation 1) | Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. |
Full Report
GAO Contacts
Derrick Collins Director Physical Infrastructure collinsd@gao.gov
Media Inquiries
Sarah Kaczmarek Managing Director Office of Public Affairs media@gao.gov
Public Inquiries
Topics
Transportation Airborne collision avoidance Aircraft Unmanned aerial systems Air traffic Aviation Drones National airspace system Public safety Transportation safety Airspace
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