Ambition statement and vision for commercial drones, created
jointly by government and the sector, outlining the 2030
potential, current use cases and support and enablers for the
future.
Advancing airborne
autonomy: commercial drones saving money and saving lives in the
UK
Details
This ambition statement outlines how government and the drone
sector will work together to achieve a vision for commercial
drones will be commonplace in the UK by 2030, in a way that
benefits the economy and wider society, delivering new
capabilities, boosting productivity, and reducing emissions and
risk to life, while sharing airspace equitably and safely with
other users.
The statement outlines the huge potential for drones, which PWC
recently estimated could be worth £45 billion to the UK economy
by 2030: see Skies
without Limits 2.0. It sets out a range of examples of how
drones are already being effectively deployed and outlines how
key enablers in technology, regulation, funding, business support
and public perception will be realised. The document targets
potential users of commercial drone solutions and aims to inspire
new investment into the sector and more widespread end-user
uptake of UK commercial drone capabilities.
The statement aligns with wider future of flight and transport
ambitions, benefiting from increased electrification and
automation. It does not forecast their potential to carry
passengers or consider counter-drone technologies.
Note: Drones are often called UAVs – unmanned aerial vehicles
or RPAS –
remotely piloted aerial systems.
