RECORD TURNOUT AT COMMERCIAL UAV EXPO AS US DRONE RULES SHIFT

Commercial UAV Expo drew 3,800 verified professionals from all 50 US states and 65 countries, along with more than 250 exhibiting companies, to Caesars Forum in Las Vegas from 1 to 3 September, the largest turnout in the event’s 12-year history. The record attendance came as the US commercial drone market absorbed regulatory change from several directions at once: the FAA’s Part 108 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking closed its reopened comment window earlier in the year, the FCC’s December 2025 addition of foreign-produced UAS and critical components to its Covered List continues to reshape fleet procurement decisions, and new Section 232 tariffs of up to 100 percent on drone imports took effect on 3 September, the final day of the event. “The turnout this year reflects how much the industry needs support and clarity as it navigates this uncertainty,” said Adrianne Madden, Event Director, Commercial UAV Expo. “Operators, program managers, and manufacturers are working through decisions that will shape the next several years of their business, and they came because they know Commercial UAV Expo will bring together the right people to help them work through it.”

REGULATORS SHARED THE STAGE

FAA officials led sessions on integrating drones and other advanced aviation technologies into the National Airspace System, and EASA leadership headlined a panel on the state of European drone rules, before the two regulators appeared together for a closing keynote comparing transatlantic approaches to beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. Across more than 50 sessions and over 140 speakers, attorneys, operators and programme managers worked through the practical implications of Part 108, Part 146, NDAA compliance and the FCC’s Covered List, alongside sessions on AI and autonomy, workforce development, and case studies from energy, construction, transportation and enterprise drone programmes. On the show floor, notable product launches included AgEagle Aerial Systems’ EagleNXT Altum-PT Pro sensor and A2Z Drone Delivery’s Longtail Dual multi-mission BVLOS platform, while the Eric Talley Public Safety UAS Excellence Award went to Greg Whiting of the Texas Military Department, whose sUAS programme flew its 100,000th sortie the day before he received it. The next edition returns to Caesars Forum from 7 to 9 September 2027.