The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to mandate collision-avoidance technology for nearly all aircraft in civilian airspace, following pressure from safety advocates after a deadly midair collision in Washington, D.C., last year. Agency chief Bryan Bedford is considering accelerating the typical federal rulemaking timeline to implement these changes more quickly.

The mandate would require aircraft to broadcast location, direction and callsign data through Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems. While many commercial carriers already use ADS-B Out technology, the new rules would extend coverage to military aircraft and expand the scope of U.S. civilian airspace requiring this equipment.

Commercial airlines have already invested heavily in collision-avoidance systems, so the mandate would hit private pilots and smaller operators hardest. These businesses will face significant upgrade costs for both ADS-B In and Out equipment to comply with expanded requirements.

The regulatory push represents a significant shift in aviation safety policy, potentially reshaping the market for aircraft avionics manufacturers and affecting thousands of aircraft operators who previously flew without mandatory collision-detection technology.