Connected Commercial Drones Report 2025 - The Number of Connected Commercial Drones Reached 2.8 Million Units Worldwide in 2024 and is Set to Reach 4.5 Million Units by 2029 - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Connected Commercial Drones - 1st Edition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research estimates that the installed base of commercial drones reached 2.8 million units worldwide in 2024. The installed base includes connected drones in the agriculture, military and defence, public safety and first response, and surveying and inspection application areas. In the agricultural sector, drones used for both aerial imagery and crop spraying operations, while the military and defence area includes tactical drones used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. Drones for public safety and first response also comprise drone-in-a-box solutions.

The surveying and inspection application area considers drones used within the construction, aggregates, mining, energy, oil and gas, utilities and renewables industries. Lastly, other application areas include drones for delivery and logistics as well as environmental monitoring and media and entertainment. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9 percent, the installed base of commercial drones is forecasted to reach roughly 4.5 million units by 2029. Asia-Pacific is estimated to account for the largest share of the installed base, followed by North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa and Latin America. The top players active in the commercial drone space range from specialised technology suppliers of varying sizes to leading drone manufacturers.

Many of the key players today serve several application areas, while other solution providers may focus on one single use case. The market is led by China-based DJI, which holds an estimated 70% market share of the global drone market as of 2024. Other leading drone manufacturers include Autel Robotics and JOUAV based in China, France-based Delair and Parrot, as well as Skydio, AeroVironment and AgEagle from the US.

The commercial drone market is set for a consolidation journey in the upcoming years as many application areas are fragmented. The solution providers are also largely impacted by the developing drone related regulations, which can affect the adoption of commercial drones worldwide. Regulations are in a sense steering the market in order to implement safe and efficient usage of drones across several industries.

Highlights from the report

• Insights from numerous interviews with market-leading companies.
• Comprehensive overview of the connected drone value chain and key applications.
• In-depth analysis of market trends and key developments.
• Detailed profiles of 45 drone solution providers.
• Reviews of the latest initiatives launched by industry players.
• Market forecasts by application area, region and wireless technology lasting until 2029.

This report answers the following questions

• Who are the leading providers of commercial drone solutions?
• What are the main applications for drones within industrial and governmental sectors?
• What offerings are available from drone solution providers?
• How will the adoption of cellular and satellite connectivity evolve?
• What are the recent merger and acquisition activities on this market?
• What are the main drivers and barriers behind the adoption of commercial drones?
• How are regulatory developments affecting the drone industry?

Market drivers and trends

• Drones flying BVLOS are progressing with reliable connectivity
• Increasing adoption of drone-in-a-box solutions for continuous operations
• Ambiguous growth in drone sales as geopolitical tensions develop
• The drone industry continues its consolidation journey
• Swarm technology has the potential to reshape commercial drone operations

Company Coverage Includes:

• AgEagle
• Autel Robotics
• C-ASTRAL Aerospace
• Delair
• DJI
• Draganfly
• Drone Volt
• Honeycomb Aerospace
• ideaForge
• JOUAV
• MMC
• Parrot
• Skydio
• TTA
• Yuneec International (ATL)
• Aonic
• Hylio
• Jiyi
• Sentera
• XAG
• AeroVironment
• Alpha Unmanned Systems
• BlueBird Aero Systems
• Edge Autonomy
• Red Cat
• TEKEVER
• Teledyne FLIR
• UAVision
• Vayu Aerospace
• AEE
• Avy
• BRINC Drones
• Fotokite
• Walkera
• AIR6 Systems
• Flyability
• Prodrone
• Voliro
• Wingtra
• Xer Technologies
• A2Z Drone Delivery
• EHang
• Freefly Systems
• RigiTech
• SafeSight Exploration

Key Attributes:

Key Topics Covered:

1 The Commercial Drone Market

1.1 Introduction to commercial drones

1.1.1 The evolution of drones

1.1.2 Classifications of drones

1.1.3 Wing types

1.1.4 Level of autonomy

1.1.5 Flight operations

2 Connected Commercial Drones

2.1 Connected drone infrastructure

2.1.1 Drone segment

2.1.2 Navigation segment

2.1.3 Network segment

2.1.4 Backoffice segment

2.2 Commercial drone applications

2.2.1 Agriculture

2.2.2 Logistics and delivery

2.2.3 Military and defence

2.2.4 Public safety and first response

2.2.5 Surveying and inspection

2.2.6 Other application areas

2.3 Laws and regulations

2.4 Business models and strategies

3 Market Forecasts and Trends

3.1 Market analysis

3.1.1 Unit shipments and installed base

3.1.2 Regional markets

3.1.3 Wireless technologies

3.1.4 Market value

3.2 Value chain analysis

3.2.1 Drone industry players

3.2.2 Camera and sensor industry players

3.2.3 Telecom industry players

3.2.4 IT industry players

3.3 Market drivers and trends

3.3.1 Drones flying BVLOS are progressing with reliable connectivity

3.3.2 Increasing adoption of drone-in-a-box solutions for continuous operations

3.3.3 Ambiguous growth in drone sales as geopolitical tensions develop

3.3.4 The drone industry continues its consolidation journey

3.3.5 Swarm technology has the potential to reshape commercial drone operations

4 Drone Manufacturers

• AgEagle
• Autel Robotics
• C-ASTRAL Aerospace
• Delair
• DJI
• Draganfly
• Drone Volt
• Honeycomb Aerospace
• ideaForge
• JOUAV
• MMC
• Parrot
• Skydio
• TTA
• Yuneec International (ATL)

5 Specialised Drone Vendors

5.1 Agriculture

• Aonic
• Hylio
• Jiyi
• Sentera
• XAG

5.2 Military and defence

• AeroVironment
• Alpha Unmanned Systems
• BlueBird Aero Systems
• Edge Autonomy
• Red Cat
• TEKEVER
• Teledyne FLIR
• UAVision
• Vayu Aerospace

5.3 Public safety and first response

• AEE
• Avy
• BRINC Drones
• Fotokite
• Walkera

5.4 Surveying and inspection

• AIR6 Systems
• Flyability
• Prodrone
• Voliro
• Wingtra
• Xer Technologies

5.5 Other specialised vendors

• A2Z Drone Delivery
• EHang
• Freefly Systems
• RigiTech
• SafeSight Exploration

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vv0u8u

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