Air Advocacy

A Unified Voice in the Air

The Air Advocacy Committee (AAC) is where AUVSI’s air domain advocacy strategy is shaped, aligned, and turned into action.

It exists for one simple reason: no single company can shape the policy environment for uncrewed and advanced air systems alone — but together, industry can.

Guided by member priorities, the AAC drives AUVSI’s legislative and regulatory agenda for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The Committee works hand-in-hand with federal agencies, lawmakers, and state, local, and tribal leaders to ensure policies enable safe, scalable, and secure integration of autonomous aviation into the national airspace.

Measurable Impact Across Policy and Operations

In 2025, that work delivered real, measurable results: executive action elevating uncrewed systems as national infrastructure, long-awaited progress on BVLOS operations, strengthened counter-UAS authorities, and a decisive shift toward supply chain security and industrial resilience. These outcomes didn’t happen by accident; they were the result of sustained, coordinated engagement between AUVSI, its members, and policymakers at every level of government. These achievements are detailed in our blog: AUVSI Helped Tip the Scales for Autonomy in 2025.

Get Involved

The AAC brings together a uniquely broad coalition of stakeholders including UAS operators and manufacturers, software and autonomy companies, defense and counter-UAS firms, Advanced Air Mobility developers, Drone as First Responder leaders, and public safety experts, united by a shared understanding: the future of uncrewed flight will be shaped as much by policy as by technology.

By participating in the AAC, members don’t just react to regulation,  they help write the playbook. They gain early insight into emerging policy, help define industry positions before decisions are made, and ensure real-world operational experience informs how rules are written and implemented.

This is the essential work of air domain advocacy: building credibility, maintaining presence, and earning trust long before decisions are made.

If your company cares about how, where, and at what scale uncrewed and autonomous air systems are deployed, this is where you belong.

To get involved, contact Alexander Laska at alaska@auvsi.org.

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• Chairperson: Benjamin Ivers, Boeing
• Vice-Chairperson: Amanda Armistead, Amazon
• Vice-Chairperson: Scott O’Brien, Reliable Robotics
• Subcommittees: Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS)

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Turning Momentum into Action: 2026 Priorities 

The AAC’s work today sets the stage for the next chapter of U.S. aviation. Our top priorities focus on scaling operations, modernizing regulations, and cementing U.S. leadership: 

1. Scaling Advanced UAS Operations, Including BVLOS 
   Driving clear, repeatable pathways for routine BVLOS operations, moving from one-off approvals to normalized operations. 
2. Implementing Drone Dominance & Domestic Competitiveness Policies 
   Ensuring supply chain and competitiveness initiatives strengthen U.S. and allied manufacturing without disrupting critical operations. 
3. Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Advanced Aviation 
   Advancing performance-based, risk-informed approaches that match the realities of automation, autonomy, and AAM. 
4. Enabling AAM Integration & Infrastructure Readiness 
   Supporting certification, approvals, vertiport readiness, staffing/appropriations, and infrastructure planning for early and scalable operations. 
5. Ensuring Reliable Access to Airspace & Spectrum 
   Protecting predictable access to airspace and the spectrum resources required for safe command-and-control, detect-and-avoid, and data transmission, while avoiding a patchwork of state and local rules. 
6. Supporting Security, Safety & Lawful Operation 
   Promoting narrowly tailored counter-UAS authorities, strong federal governance, and industry-led best practices for security and responsible operations while protecting civilian liberties.