What the numbers say: Mapping and surveying comprised the largest share of worldwide drone usage in 2021. 48% of drones were used for this purpose, while only 7% were used for deliveries that year. Relevance: Walmart announced in 2021 that it would begin aerial drone deliveries. Amazon launched its Prime Air drone delivery service in 2022 after initially announcing plans to explore the concept in 2013. Despite these developments, e-commerce deliveries comprise a comparatively small portion of overall drone usage. Amazon has struggled to overcome regulatory hurdles that have blocked its efforts to roll out aerial drone technology at scale. What's next: The Business Research Company (BRC) expects the global drone delivery market size to grow from $1.45B in 2022 to $4.35B by 2027. This indicates that e-commerce drone deliveries may become more widespread in the future. U.S. cargo airline Ameriflight recently obtained FAA approval to begin large-scale deployment of its delivery drones for the e-commerce and healthcare industries. |
