TSA BVLOS Security Roundtables: Apply by October 19 for Part 108 Input

If you fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) today—or plan to under the coming Part 108 framework—the Transportation Security Administration wants you in the room before the security program language hardens. A September 4 Federal Register notice (91 FR 56894, FR Doc. 2026-18124) solicits industry for closed technical roundtables on the security of unmanned aircraft operating BVLOS. Requests to participate are due October 19, 2026, by email to [email protected].

That deadline is Monday. The roundtables themselves will not start until after the FAA and TSA final Part 108 rules publish. Nothing in this notice changes what a visual-line-of-sight Part 107 pilot can do this weekend.

What TSA is actually asking for

Part 108 is not only an FAA airspace and operations rule. In the joint August 7, 2025 NPRM, TSA proposed personnel vetting for certain covered people and a TSA-approved security program for certain operators. The September notice restates that goal: collect the organizational, structural, technological, and physical methods operators already use to secure BVLOS flights, then publish model approaches an operator could adopt to satisfy a security program.

TSA says some procedures already used under FAA waivers or exemptions may adequately satisfy some of the new requirements. The meetings are not advisory-committee sessions. Participants give individual views; TSA is not seeking consensus recommendations.

Closed doors, SSI rules, two seats per org

These rooms will be closed. TSA is invoking 49 U.S.C. 114(r) and 49 CFR part 1520 to treat the discussions as Sensitive Security Information (SSI). Every participant must be approved for SSI access, sign a nondisclosure agreement, and either be a covered person under 49 CFR 1520.7 or be designated one for the event. Participation is generally limited to two people per company or association, and TSA may narrow that further by topic or room size.

Who can apply:

• Current BVLOS operators flying under FAA waivers or exemptions
• Operators that intend to seek a Part 108 permit or certificate once the final rule is out
• Industry associations representing either group

That net reaches utilities, delivery operators, public-safety docked programs, and the third-party service companies that will support Part 108 operations.

Part 108 is still at OIRA—do not invent a date

The notice schedules roundtables after both final rules publish. It does not set a publication date. The FAA’s Part 108 package (RIN 2120-AL82) has been at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs since July 10, 2026, and remains listed as Pending Review. Treat any “will publish by…” claim as hope until the Federal Register posting appears.

What this means for drone pilots

• Part 107 VLOS work is unchanged. Registration, Remote ID, airspace authorization, and TFR compliance still run under the rules you know.
• BVLOS operators should treat October 19 as real. If you hold a waiver or exemption—or expect to seek a Part 108 permit—email TSA before the cutoff if you want a seat when model security language is drafted.
• Security programs will not be a footnote. Personnel vetting and TSA-approved programs are baked into the Part 108 proposal for certain operators. The people who help write the model language will have the easiest path to compliance.
• Do not wait for a rumor clock. Until Part 108 publishes, keep operating under current authorizations and verify NOTAMs the same way you do today.

If you are building or refreshing your commercial foundation while BVLOS policy catches up, our Part 107 online course covers the operating rules that stay in force for visual-line-of-sight work.

The bottom line

TSA is recruiting closed-door technical roundtables on BVLOS security, with participation requests due October 19 to [email protected]. The meetings happen after the FAA and TSA final Part 108 rules publish—not before. Part 108 itself is still pending OIRA review with no official Federal Register date. For most Part 107 pilots, this is a watch item. For anyone planning around BVLOS under Part 108, it is a Monday deadline.

Sources: Federal Register notice (Sept. 4, 2026); GovInfo PDF (FR Doc. 2026-18124); AVweb

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