News, deep dives, and analysis — every Department of Transportation story, newest first.
DHS and four departments gave the FAA a safety review of new counter-drone systems, the day FEMA's chief was billed to keynote a drone grant forum.
USDOT forecasts $9M for FY26 Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grants: notice Sept 15, applications due Nov 15, five awards, 50% match. States asked for $50M.
DOT chief of staff Pete Meachum says the BVLOS rule was slowed deliberately to avoid technology lock-in. Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton warns the uncertainty freezes drone investment. Part 108 is six months past its deadline and under White House review.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation broke ground on June 25 on the Vertical Take-Off and Landing Procedures and Analysis Range, or V-PAR, at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. The roughly $8.3 million facility gives the agency its first dedicated range for studying how electric and hybrid vertical…
The Fulshear Police Department launched a Drone as First Responder program on April 6, 2026, and the platform doing the work is the DJI Matrice 350 RTK rather than the U.S.-built Skydio X10 that has become the default for many other municipal DFR programs. The choice matters because it cuts against the broader U.S. public…
At XPONENTIAL, former DJI policy VP Brendan Schulman moderates robotics panel; DOT's Owen Morgan confirms adversary drone security belongs to FCC, not DOT.
Wisk Aero flew its second Gen 6 autonomous air taxi on May 4 in Hollister, CA, putting two Boeing-backed certification aircraft into simultaneous flight test.
Florida Gov. DeSantis signed HB 1093 on April 20, authorizing FDOT to fully fund vertiports as the state targets December 2026 commercial air taxi launch.
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