Commercial Drone Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Fixed-wing, Rotary Blade, Hybrid), By Application, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global commercial drone market size was estimated at USD 29.86 billion in 2022. It is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.6% from 2023 to 2030. Drones are used for a wide range of applications, including filming and emergency response. In addition, these devices are in high demand in the construction and real estate sectors due to their ability to survey the property, offer constant and exact project alerts, increase safety, and prevent harmful accidents on construction sites. Drone business use cases have expanded significantly over the past few years. Drone software solution providers and manufacturers, for example, are continually testing, inventing, and upgrading solutions for diverse markets.

Additionally, traditional use cases like monitoring, surveillance, and security are also more likely to emerge in sectors with high rates of crime and labour costs. Drones are widely used for search and rescue operations, tracking out elevated infrastructure that might have damaged electrical cables and unstable roofs in dangerous and inaccessible positions, and search and rescue missions.

Technological advances in electronics, such as modern computing, microcontrollers, processors, mobile hardware, and cameras have streamlined the drone product portfolio. These developments allow companies to design and construct measurement and annotation tools for estimating area, volume, and distance. As a result, organizations worldwide are constantly adopting artificial and machine learning solutions to retrieve accurate findings from a pile of information and data gathered from millions of data points. AI technology manages and stores massive volumes of data, allowing UAVs to work efficiently. Skydio, Inc., a drone manufacturer, introduced Skydio X2, the AI-enabled drone in order to meet the requirements of the drone industry's top advanced fleets.

Integrating modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into drones provide the industry with substantial potential opportunities. They provide real-time, data-driven decision-making for their clients by enabling high-speed data capture, processing, and transfer. AI-powered drones also enable users to interact and observe footage captured by other drones in real-time and track their flight paths. Faster data analysis that yields valuable insights is facilitated by ML and AI combined with predictive learning models.

Furthermore, due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a significant surge in the use of drone technology in various contexts, with drones claiming to be immensely beneficial in such scenarios. In order to speed up transportation turnaround times and reduce the risk of infection, drones are widely used in the healthcare industry for the pickup and delivery of test samples and the transportation of medical supplies. According to UNICEF, more than eighteen countries have used drones for delivery and transportation throughout the pandemic.

Application Insights

The filming & photography application segment accounted for the major revenue share of around 30.0% in 2022 and is expected to maintain dominance over the forecast period. In order to obtain a competitive edge, drones are rapidly adopted by photographers and are quickly becoming a necessary component of professional photography. Companies such as DJI are developing small drone cameras capable of capturing high-quality images for professional photographers. The elevated procurement of drones for aerial cinematography and photography, such as the Autel EVO II, Parrot Anafi FPV, DJI Mavic 2 Pro, DJI Mini 2, and DJI Mavic 2 Zoom, is likely to fuel segment growth.

The precision agriculture segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period, considering drones have emerged as one of the essential aspects of farm management. Agriculture costs are being reduced, and yields are being raised by farmers worldwide. Drones enable farmers and agricultural employees to collect farm data, automate repetitive tasks, and increase productivity. Drones also help farmers with various activities, such as field monitoring and analysis and agricultural plantation planning to evaluate crop growth and health. For instance, Raptor Maps, a U.S.-based agriculture analytics firm, uses drones to help farmers assess their potential harvest better.

Product Insights

The rotary blade segment registered for the highest share of around 73.0% in 2022. The demand for rotary blade drones is anticipated to surge for inspection activities owing to its ability to hover and execute agile maneuvering while maintaining a visual on a particular target for prolonged periods. These drones are often seen as a suitable alternative for various business applications such as surveillance, filmmaking, photography, and monitoring. In addition, they are easier to control than hybrid and fixed-wing counterparts.

The hybrid segment is expected to attain the highest CAGR of around 42.0% over the forecast period. Hybrid commercial drones enhance their efficiency and power by integrating the capabilities of batteries and fuel. Moreover, these drones can fly for long periods with heavier payloads, even in severe weather conditions. Hybrid drones are being used by tech giants like Facebook and Amazon to transport packages effectively and quickly while also enabling internet access in remote locations.

End-use Insights

The media & entertainment segment accounted for the largest market share of around 25.0% in 2022 and is expected to grow over the forecast period. Drones have numerous applications in media and entertainment. Professional drones are now being used by filmmakers for the most cost-effective and exact frame capture possible. The increasing demand from clients and owners for aerial photography to advertising amusement parks, public spaces, tourist attractions, hotels, and resorts is expected to drive the segment's expansion.

The delivery and logistics segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR of more than 44.0% over the forecast period. Due to the growth of the e-commerce sector, drones are set to revolutionize the delivery and logistics sector globally. With the increased demand for quick delivery of goods, drones are rapidly being used in e-commerce warehouses for product warehousing and delivery. Warehouses worldwide are making significant investments to enhance the level of automation. UAVs are beneficial in jobs and operations that necessitate more person-hours. Barcode scanning is a crucial use case for drones in warehouses. This, in turn, is expected to drive the segment’s growth.

Regional Insights

The North America region, which held the most significant market share of around 32.0% in 2022, is expected to increase significantly over the next eight years due to developments in drone technology, favorable government efforts, and growing demand from enterprises across numerous industries. Furthermore, in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued new regulations to create more coherent and consistent standards for the legal and safe operation of UAVs in commercial spaces. These rules and regulations are anticipated to decrease entry barriers and boost regional product usage.

Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit the fastest growth in terms of volume, registering a CAGR of around 40.0% from 2023 to 2030. A lucrative regulatory framework, primarily among industrialized countries, is predicted to encourage market expansion. Several governments are continually developing new regulations for commercial drone applications. Moreover, various start-up firms are testing new commercial drone applications and intend to enhance drone safety.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is comprised of a few market participants who account for key market shares. Drone manufacturers and suppliers worldwide create custom-made solutions to effectively address the business needs of their customers. Advancements in drones and drone technologies have made it possible for manufacturers to produce a broader range of models in different weights, sizes, and shapes capable of carrying various sensor payloads and making them applicable over a wide application base.

• In September 2022, AeroVironment Inc. launched Vapor 55MX a next-generation VAPOR Helicopter that helps customers from defense, commercial and industrial for highly increased endurance and expanded payload capacity.

• In January 2023, Autel Robotics launched EVO Max 4T drone at a CES event in Las Vegas. The drone has an innovative flight platform with intelligence which helps in various applications of enterprises and prosumers.

Some of the prominent players in the global commercial drone market:

• Aeronavics Ltd.

• AeroVironment Inc.

• Autel Robotics

• DJI

• Draganfly Innovations Inc.

• EHANG

• Intel Corporation

• Parrot Drones SAS

• PrecisionHawk Inc.

• YUNEEC

Commercial Drone Market Report Scope 

Global Commercial Drone Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global commercial drone market report on the basis of product, application, end-use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Volume, Thousand Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Fixed-wing

  • Hybrid

  • Rotary Blade

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Mapping & Surveying

  • Filming & Photography

  • Surveillance & Monitoring

  • Inspection & Maintenance

  • Precision Agriculture

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Real Estate & Construction

  • Agriculture

  • Energy

  • Media & Entertainment

  • Security & Law Enforcement

  • Delivery & Logistics

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Thousand Units; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Australia

    • Japan

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa

    • UAE

    • Israel

    • South Africa