The FAA recently made a quiet but important change to how it handles Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAP. The 

 replaces the outdated “UFO” terminology and instructs air traffic controllers to report UAP observations through existing safety and security channels.

While the FAA has acknowledged unusual aerial events in the past, this is the first time UAP reporting has been formally written into the agency’s air traffic control procedures. That means UAP observations are now recognized as part of everyday aviation safety operations, not something to ignore or dismiss.

For decades, pilots and air traffic controllers have had limited guidance on how to handle sightings they could not explain. Many avoided reporting altogether out of concern for how it might be received. By placing UAP reporting within its core safety framework, the FAA is signaling that these observations are worthy of the same professionalism and attention as any other in-flight safety issue.

That matters for aviation safety. When pilots and controllers can document what they have seen without fear or stigma, that information becomes data. Data can be analyzed, patterns can be recognized, and the aviation community can better understand what is happening in our shared airspace.

The Next Goal: The Safe Airspace for Americans Act

The FAA’s update is a meaningful step forward, but it is not the end goal. 

, introduced in Congress in September 2025, aims to expand on this foundation. The bill would require the FAA to create a standardized, national system for collecting and analyzing UAP reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, maintenance crews, dispatchers, and airport staff.

It would also require the FAA to coordinate with other agencies, protect aviation professionals from retaliation, and develop a public communication strategy to reduce the stigma around reporting. Most importantly, it ensures that reporting a UAP cannot jeopardize a pilot’s medical or airman certificates, or their career.

In short, the goal of the Safe Airspace for Americans Act is to make UAP reporting safe, consistent, and transparent across all of aviation.

 (ASA), we see the FAA’s move as part of a larger shift toward openness. Each step like this helps aviation professionals feel supported when they speak up. The more we normalize transparent reporting, the stronger the safety culture becomes.

If you have seen something you cannot explain, 

you can confidentially report through ASA’s reporting platform

. Every report helps us move closer to a clearer, safer understanding of what is in our skies.

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Americans for Safe Aerospace at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026

DoD's Initial UAP File Release Is a Step Forward - But Transparency Must Come With Guidance for Pilots

Unknown Objects Over Sensitive Sites