United States: Aviation

A multistate coalition has petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to set aside the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) nationwide drone-delivery environmental review. 15 states and Harris County, Texas (Petitioners), filed a lawsuit on September 28 challenging FAA’s July 28, 2026, Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision (FONSI/ROD) for Drone Package Delivery Operations in the United States. The short initial filing does not yet state the merits arguments.

In 1941, Laura Ingalls, a famous American aviator and activist, was indicted under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for failing to register as an agent of the German government after receiving a salary from the German Embassy to promote U.S. non-intervention in World War II.

Whether it involves weapons or ones and zeros, we are clearly in the midst of a new space race. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink's acknowledgment that the United States has weapons in orbit sparked a flurry of reactions from Russia and China.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated a Department of Transportation order that had revoked antitrust immunity from Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico's joint venture.

On May 14, 2026, the United States Supreme Court delivered an important win for truck crash victims and highway safety. In Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, the Court unanimously held that federal law does not shield freight brokers from state-law claims when they negligently hire unsafe motor carriers. The ruling reverses the Seventh Circuit and confirms that negligent-hiring claims against brokers fall within the safety exception of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act.

President Trump's August 2026 memorandum directs the most comprehensive overhaul of U.S. naval shipbuilding in decades, mandating accelerated acquisition of strategic sealift vessels under the innovative "Finland Model" framework and establishing the first new public Navy shipyard in over 80 years. How will foreign shipbuilders, domestic contractors, and sealift operators position themselves to capitalize on these binding directives with 60- to 120-day implementation deadlines?

Comments due July 6, 2026. Under its proposed 14 C.F.R. Part 74, operators and proprietors of fixed-site (permanent, non-mobile), critical infrastructure (defined by statute and regulation) facilities could request...

The FAA has designated all 2026 FIFA World Cup venues as "No Drone Zones," imposing strict airspace restrictions with severe penalties for violations. Federal agencies are coordinating enforcement efforts and deploying counter-drone technology to detect and disable unauthorized drones throughout the tournament. Operators must understand compliance obligations, temporary flight restrictions, and the legal framework governing drone operations during this major international sporting event.

Policy developments over the past two weeks underscore a central theme of today’s space economy: the need to scale. Projections that U.S. launch demand could quadruple in the next decade...