New US industry forecasts indicate that the small model fleet of unmanned aircraft – or drones – will grow from 1.2 million vehicles in 2018 to 1.4 million in 2023, an average annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent.
The FAA aerospace forecast is the industry-wide standard of measurement of US aviation-related activities. The agency uses data, trends and other factors to develop the forecast, including generally accepted economic projections, surveys and information sent by the airlines to the DOT. Additionally, the scope of the report looks at all facets of aviation including commercial air travel, air cargo and private general aviation.
To learn more about the projected growth in US aviation, a fact sheet is also available