Market Trends of Unmanned Traffic Management Industry
The Software Segment will Showcase Highest Growth During the Forecast Period
The unmanned traffic management software is estimated to show remarkable growth during the forecast period. The UAM software provides real-time data on all the UAVs in the airspace and informs pilots about the restricted and non-restricted airspace.
Rising demand for unmanned aerial vehicles and growing procurement of drones for various commercial and military applications from countries such as China, India, the United States, and others drive the segment growth. Increasing investments in developing advanced software solutions for air traffic planning will drive market growth during the forecast period. For instance, in March 2023, Skye Air, a drone solutions provider based in Gurugram, launched a traffic management system for drones in India. The Skye software enables drone operators to plan routes, create flight plans, and evaluate risks before conducting drone-based operations in the country. This solution is the first of its kind in India.
Similarly, US-based firm AirMap Inc. has developed software solutions that help military forces manage UAV traffic over sensitive locations and complete tactical missions safely. The software provides visual intelligence and real-time insights to deployed soldiers to make decisions in the field. Furthermore, ANRA Technologies, OneSky, and Collins Aerospace developed software platforms to schedule and deconflict drone operations.
Thus, increasing demand for unmanned aerial vehicles and growing expenditure on the development of advanced UTM software are projected to show remarkable growth during the forecast period.
North America to Dominate Market Share During the Forecast Period
North America held the largest market share and continued its domination during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the presence of a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles, growing investment in research and development, and increasing use of drones for military applications. According to NASA, there were more than 873,000 unmanned aircraft systems registered to fly in the US as of July 2023.
Furthermore, in May 2022, Walmart announced a partnership extension with DroneUp for drone deliveries in 34 sites across six states in the US. Growing procurement of drones from the US for military applications drives the market growth. In October 2022, the US Border Patrol procured more than USD 1 million worth of tracking and surveillance drones from Red Cat subsidiary Teal Drones. Under the contract, the company will provide its Golden Eagle drones to the border patrol, designed to offer enhanced security and protection to agents in typically unmanned areas.
In August 2022, in partnership with AirMatrix, a provider of remote traffic management software, IN-FLIGHT Data, an experienced drone operator in the region, successfully conducted one of the first "SAIL 4" urban drone operations beyond the pilot's line of sight and over urban neighborhoods. As a result, this initiative has been driving market vendors to develop new solutions to meet the increasing demand for unmanned traffic management systems in the region.
