The Federal Aviation Administration published a notice on June 18, 2026 announcing that it has renewed the charter of its NextGen Advisory Committee, renamed it the National Airspace System Advisory Committee, and opened a solicitation for nominations to fill up to 25 seats. The notice, docketed as FAA-2026-7097 and printed at 91 FR 36931, sets a nomination deadline of July 20, 2026. The committee, abbreviated NAC, provides independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation through the FAA Administrator and responds to taskings the agency assigns directly.

The NAC was first established on June 15, 2018 under the NextGen Advisory Committee name. In renewing the charter under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the FAA states it amended the charter to change the committee's name, broaden its scope, adjust its membership, and move the support office to the Air Traffic Organization. The agency frames the committee's job as resolving issues tied to modernizing the National Airspace System and integrating new entrants into it. For readers tracking autonomy, the most concrete signal in the notice is who gets a guaranteed seat at that table.

"One representative of the unmanned aircraft system industry with demonstrated expertise in the design, manufacturing, or operation of unmanned aircraft systems; demonstrated experience in the development or implementation of unmanned aircraft system policies and procedures; and demonstrated commitment to advancing the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system."— Federal Register, source

That language reserves a dedicated UAS seat. The notice pairs it with a parallel seat for the powered-lift industry, described as a representative with demonstrated expertise in the design, manufacturing, or operation of powered-lift aircraft and a commitment to advancing the safe integration of powered-lift aircraft into the national airspace system. Powered-lift is the FAA category that covers electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, the airframes at the center of the advanced air mobility sector. Alongside those two reserved seats, the FAA says the committee will draw at least one representative each from manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft systems, airports, air traffic management system suppliers, general aviation and cargo and fleet operators, and commercial space, with the Secretary able to add other interests as appropriate.

Scope, cost, and cadence on the record

The FAA states the NAC will respond to specific tasks using consensus-based meeting methodologies in three areas: investment priorities; airspace modernization priorities and a performance analyses report; and ad hoc taskings. The committee is continuing but subject to renewal every two years, is expected to meet approximately three times a year, and, unless otherwise required by law or approved by the Secretary, will hold all meetings virtually. Members serve two-year terms, may be reappointed, and past members are welcome to apply. The agency notes that proposed payments to members are listed at zero in its public-interest filing.

The notice also puts a dollar figure on the committee. The FAA states its annual operating cost to support the NAC is approximately $200,000, which includes 1.0 full-time-equivalent of salary and benefits at $4,000 plus $175,000 for other Federal costs. The agency files that figure as part of the public-interest determination required under federal advisory-committee rules, which obligate an agency to consult the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat and provide a written determination of need before renewing a discretionary committee.

In the same determination the FAA lists its six active advisory committees: the Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee, the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, the Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory Committee, the NAC itself, the Research, Engineering, and Development Advisory Committee, and the Unmanned and Autonomous Flight Advisory Committee. The agency states that the NAC is the only one of these focused on modernizing the National Airspace System, and that its stakeholders will include both legacy aviation and new and emerging entrants including UAS, advanced air mobility, and commercial space.

The notice also describes how candidates will be assessed once nominations arrive. The FAA states it will objectively analyze applicants against the criteria in the solicitation, that a Committee Manager will evaluate proposed candidates for expertise, influence, and stakeholder representation, and that qualified individuals will be submitted to a selection panel made up of FAA stakeholder organizations with an interest in the NAC. The agency adds that the actual number of seated members may fluctuate from year to year, but that the imperative to maintain broad representation of the aviation community so the FAA can align its investments is constant. More than one member may be appointed per sector to keep the membership fairly balanced.

What the renewal records and what comes next

The FAA describes the committee's recent output as well. It states that since the last charter renewal in 2024, the NAC was tasked and provided consensus advice and recommendations on the feasibility and impacts of a best-equipped-better-served concept of operations; the operational benefits of implementing En Route Data Communications; ways to achieve greater airspace efficiencies while reducing reliance on legacy systems; and risk and mitigation tied to industry comments on the NextGen Priorities Joint Implementation Plan. The agency characterizes the committee as essential to understanding the future of the airspace as it integrates new entrants.

For nominations, the FAA asks that submissions include the nominee's contact information, a letter of support on organizational letterhead, a short biography, and an affirmative statement that the nominee meets the eligibility requirements and identifies which stakeholder group they would represent. Materials are to total two pages or fewer and may be sent through regulations.gov, by mail, or by hand delivery to DOT's docket facility in Washington. The agency notes that members may serve as representatives, Special Government Employees, or Regular Government Employees depending on their role. The deadline is July 20, 2026; the FAA states that nominations received after the due date will be retained for evaluation for future vacancies after on-time nominations are considered. The notice was issued in Washington on June 16, 2026 by Alex W. Nelson, Manager of the Rules and Regulations Group.