GAO Spotlight Forces Hard Questions as U.S. Drone Delivery Nears BVLOS Scale

A federal audit office has reframed the debate over commercial drone delivery: technology readiness is no longer just an engineering question but a systems-and-governance problem that requires documented safety performance before routine flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) become widespread. GAO inspectors identified persistent technical friction points — how small unmanned aircraft will coexist with crewed flights, the maturity and verification of detect‑and‑avoid capabilities, and the operational implications of mixed equipment environments. Equally important, GAO highlighted gaps in interagency roles, data sharing, and consistent methods for validating system performance across operators and suppliers. These findings coincide with a narrowly scoped FAA move to reopen its BVLOS notice to collect comments specifically on airborne position‑broadcasting (electronic conspicuity) and how right‑of‑way should be allocated when drones operate without visual observers; that comment window is tightly compressed and runs through Feb. 11, 2026. The FAA’s focus on those two flashpoints underscores the tradeoffs facing regulators: require broad equipage that simplifies traffic awareness but burdens non‑drone aircraft, or accept mixed equipage and demand higher detection-and-avoid performance and verification from drones. GAO’s involvement raises the political stakes, increasing the likelihood of congressional hearings and expectations for measurable safety metrics rather than case‑by‑case waivers. For operators and manufacturers, the combined regulatory and oversight attention means an elevated need for transparent, testable performance data, robust risk-management frameworks, and demonstrated interoperability. Industry commenters who submit empirical evidence during the FAA’s compressed docket will likely carry outsized influence on technical standards for electronic position sharing and collision‑avoidance responsibilities. In the near term, these converging pressures are likely to slow unconstrained expansion as regulators press for documented safeguards, which can raise compliance costs and delay routinized BVLOS authority. Over the longer term, however, clearly defined equipage or performance requirements — backed by verified data and interagency processes — could reduce uncertainty, lower operational risk, and accelerate broader deployment once stakeholders align on measurable benchmarks.