Air Pixels

Air Pixels Insights · Hardware

The fleet transition: DJI, the Covered List and what operators do next.

Since December 22, 2025, new foreign-made drone models can't be authorized for sale in the U.S., and almost everything flying today is DJI. What the rules do, what they don't, and how to plan the replacement cycle.

Air Pixels Research · Updated November 13, 2026

Answer first

You can keep flying the drones you own, and models the FCC already authorized can still be sold. What changed is new models: drones and critical components produced abroad were added to the FCC Covered List on December 22, 2025, so new ones can't receive FCC equipment authorization unless an exemption applies. The exemptions for Blue UAS and qualifying domestic products run to January 1, 2027.1,4

How it happened

DateEvent
FY2025 NDAACongress requires the FCC to add certain DJI and Autel equipment to the Covered List by December 22, 2025, unless a national security agency determines otherwise.1
Dec 21, 2025An Executive Branch interagency body issues a national security determination on foreign-made drones.2
Dec 22, 2025The FCC adds drones and drone critical components produced in foreign countries to the Covered List, along with all communications and video surveillance equipment and services from DJI and Autel.2,3
Jan 7, 2026The FCC updates the list with exemptions and guidance on individual conditional approvals.1,4
Feb 20, 2026DJI and DJI Service LLC petition the Ninth Circuit to review the FCC's ruling.7

What the rule does, and what it doesn't

  • It doesn't prohibit importing, selling or using device models the FCC authorized before the update.4
  • It does stop new covered devices from receiving FCC authorization, which means they can't be imported, marketed or sold in the U.S.3,4
  • Exemptions cover products on the Blue UAS Cleared List and domestic end products that meet a 65% domestic-content test, through January 1, 2027.5 Reuters reported that models from Parrot, Teledyne FLIR, Neros Technologies, Wingtra, Auterion, ModalAI, Zepher Flight Labs and AeroVironment were among those allowed for import until the end of 2026.6

The installed base

The scale of the transition comes from how concentrated today's fleet is. An FAA study of Remote ID detections at 64 monitoring locations found DJI aircraft were more than 96% of drones detected, with every other manufacturer combined under 2.4%. Those figures reflect what the sensors picked up, not every flight nationwide.8

The alternatives are already on the market. Of the 94 current airframes in the Air Pixels Hardware Index, 43 are DJI and 51 come from 27 other manufacturers, U.S. and foreign.A Non-DJI isn't the same as eligible: a foreign-produced model still needs prior authorization or an exemption.

What replacement costs, by class

ClassCurrent modelsMedian kit costRange
Consumer camera20$679$414–$1,150
FPV / cinewhoop10$998$514–$10,174
Prosumer cinema12$2,927$1,323–$5,905
Enterprise thermal17$10,281$5,895–$50,730
Heavy-lift cinema7$20,225$6,099–$43,070
Enterprise mapping15$21,615$4,506–$63,430
Fixed-wing / VTOL6$39,502$24,360–$112,080

Kit cost is the Air Pixels Hardware Index estimate of what it takes to put the aircraft to work, as of November 2026. Seven legacy benchmark models are left out of the table.A

Planning the transition

  1. Inventory. List every aircraft by model and FCC ID, and confirm each one's authorization status.
  2. Group by mission. Mapping, thermal inspection, cinema and delivery fleets have different replacement options and timelines.
  3. Price it with real numbers. Budget from kit costs, not list prices, using the table above.
  4. Test field performance before you buy. Rated flight time drops with wind, cold, elevation and reserve. The Drone Comparison Engine models usable flight time for your conditions.
  5. Watch two dates. January 1, 2027 for the exemptions, and the Ninth Circuit's handling of DJI's petition.
  6. Document risk. Insurers and procurement teams increasingly ask for airframe risk profiles; ours are available through the Air Pixels Data API.
The opportunity in the disruption. A forced replacement cycle sends buyers looking for neutral, comparable data on aircraft they've never flown. That data, specs and modeled real-world performance, is what the Hardware Index and the Data API exist to provide, to people and to AI agents over MCP.

Questions

Can I still fly my DJI drone?

Yes. The update doesn't prohibit using drone models the FCC previously authorized.

Can stores still sell DJI drones?

Models that already had FCC equipment authorization can still be sold. New foreign-made models can't receive authorization unless an exemption applies.

Which foreign-made drones are exempt?

Products on the Blue UAS Cleared List and qualifying domestic products, through January 1, 2027.

Is DJI challenging the decision?

Yes. DJI filed a petition for review in the Ninth Circuit on February 20, 2026.

What share of U.S. drones are DJI?

More than 96% of drones detected in an FAA Remote ID study at 64 locations.

Sources

  1. Wiley Rein, FCC issues exemptions and clarifications for sweeping prohibition of foreign-made drones (Jan 12, 2026). wiley.law
  2. HLC, FCC heavily restricts foreign-made drones and drone components. hlc.com
  3. DroneLife, FCC adds foreign-made drones and components to Covered List (Dec 22, 2025). dronelife.com
  4. Rupprecht Law, FCC drones and the Covered List. jrupprechtlaw.com
  5. Techwalla, US drone ban 2026: FCC rules explained for DJI and Autel. techwalla.com
  6. TV Technology, citing Reuters, FCC exempts some drones and accessories. tvtechnology.com
  7. DroneLife, DJI seeks court review as FCC Covered List expansion reshapes U.S. drone market (Feb 24, 2026). dronelife.com
  8. DroneXL, FAA research on U.S. drone platforms (Mar 3, 2026). dronexl.co
  9. [A] Air Pixels Hardware Index, November 2026. airpixels.com/drones

For information only; not legal or procurement advice.