The Federal Aviation Administration has formally incorporated a new unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) reporting protocol into its core air‑traffic‑control manual, marking the first time the agency has codified guidance for pilots and controllers to log sightings of objects that cannot be readily identified. The amendment, which appears in the latest revision of FAA Order 7110.65, the “Air Traffic Control Handbook,” adds a dedicated section that outlines how controllers should document a UAP encounter, the information that must be transmitted to the FAA’s UAP Desk, and the channels through which the data will be forwarded to the Department of Defense’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. The update was submitted to the FAA’s policy office in August and became effective on 1 October 2025.
The change was championed by the nonprofit Americans for Safe Aerospace (AFSA), which has long advocated for a standardized, safety‑first approach to anomalous sightings in the national airspace. AFSA’s director, Dr. Melissa Hargrove, said the new language “provides clear, actionable steps for controllers who might otherwise be uncertain about how to handle an unexpected visual contact, without compromising flight safety or air‑traffic efficiency.” The organization’s push was bolstered by independent researcher John Greenewald, whose extensive FOIA work on UAP‑related documents has highlighted gaps in reporting and data sharing. In a recent interview, Greenewald noted that “the FAA’s manual revision is a tangible outcome of years of pressure from the research community and the public, and it should improve the quality and consistency of the data that reaches the government’s analysis teams.”
The policy does not classify a UAP sighting as an incident requiring immediate operational response, but it does require controllers to log the time, location, altitude, and any radar or visual data available, then submit a brief narrative within 24 hours. The FAA has assured that submissions will be handled confidentially and that the information will be aggregated with other civilian and military reports to support a more comprehensive national database. The agency’s spokesperson, Karen Liu, emphasized that “our priority remains the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system; this reporting mechanism is an additional tool to help us understand and mitigate any potential hazards.”
The FAA revision arrives amid a surge of UAP‑related headlines that have kept the issue in the public eye. In recent weeks, several pilots have reported what they describe as “non‑human craft” exhibiting flight characteristics beyond known technology, while astronomers have documented fleeting flashes on the lunar surface that some have speculated could be the result of high‑altitude activity. Parallel to these reports, speculative articles have circulated about alleged government deals to acquire extraterrestrial technology and about a possible “UAP Disclosure Act” being drafted in Congress. While many of those stories remain unverified, the FAA’s procedural update reflects a growing consensus among aviation stakeholders that systematic data collection is essential, regardless of the ultimate explanation for the phenomena.
Industry analysts view the manual amendment as part of a broader shift toward greater transparency and accountability in UAP investigations. Since the Department of Defense’s establishment of the All‑Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022, there has been a concerted effort to integrate civilian sightings with military intelligence. By embedding reporting instructions directly into the FAA’s operational handbook, the agency not only standardizes the process but also signals to pilots and controllers that UAP observations are a legitimate safety concern, not a fringe curiosity. As the new protocol takes effect, the FAA plans to review the volume and nature of submitted reports annually, with the aim of informing future policy and, potentially, legislative action.
