Company says its platform is built to support compliance and operational oversight for scaled BVLOS drone operations
As the U.S. drone industry prepares for the FAA’s anticipated Part 108 rule, AirData UAV has joined the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), a move the company says will help support the next phase of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
AirData announced the move this week, positioning its fleet management and compliance platform as infrastructure for operators preparing for broader commercial BVLOS operations. The company said the expected Part 108 framework will create new requirements around documentation, personnel oversight, operational risk management, and continuous reporting.
The FAA has not yet finalized Part 108, but the rule is widely expected to expand routine BVLOS operations in the United States. Industry stakeholders have pointed to the rule as a key step toward scaling drone delivery, infrastructure inspection, public safety operations, and other advanced drone applications.
Preparing for Scaled BVLOS Operations
According to AirData, its existing platform already supports many of the operational functions expected under Part 108. The company highlighted tools including automated compliance documentation, digital checklists, flight logging, pilot tracking, and fleet-wide analytics.
“We are at a critical moment for the drone economy,” said Lisa Ellman, Chief Executive Officer of the Commercial Drone Alliance. “As the industry moves toward broader BVLOS operations and frameworks like Part 108, access to scalable, reliable operational data such as that which AirData provides will help to safely unlock the full potential of the drone economy.”
AirData says its system currently supports more than 61 million flights across 450,000 pilots and 850,000 drones worldwide. The platform is used by enterprise operators, public safety agencies, and commercial drone programs in multiple countries.
The company also emphasized that compliance expectations are likely to increase as BVLOS operations become more common. Those expectations may include maintenance records, pilot currency tracking, operational histories, and documented procedures for risk management.
CDA’s Role in Drone Policy
The Commercial Drone Alliance has played a significant role in drone policy discussions in Washington, particularly around BVLOS operations, airspace integration, and regulatory modernization. The organization includes drone manufacturers, operators, and technology providers working on commercial drone adoption.
AirData said joining the CDA will allow the company to contribute to policy and operational standards as the industry moves toward more advanced operations.
“We are excited to join the CDA and work alongside its members, who represent many of the world’s premier drone operators, to help accelerate the growth of the U.S. drone economy,” said Eran Steiner, CEO and Founder of AirData UAV. “We have long served as the intelligence backbone for drone operations, and we look forward to leveraging our data, insights, and experience to enable scalable, compliant, and mission-critical drone programs, particularly as frameworks like Part 108 unlock the next phase of scaled BVLOS operations in the United States.”
The announcement reflects a broader trend in the drone industry as companies prepare for more structured operational oversight tied to BVLOS expansion. While many discussions around Part 108 have focused on aircraft and flight permissions, operational compliance systems are also expected to become increasingly important as regulators evaluate large-scale drone operations.
AirData said its platform is available now for agencies and operators preparing for those changes.
Read more:
- AirData Launches 3D Flight Player for Advanced Drone Flight Review
- AirData Launches Public Safety Program as Drone Operations Become Core to Emergency Response
- PG&E Automates BVLOS Drone Compliance with AirData: A Case Study
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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