Commercial Drones

As drone use increases worldwide, effective, risk-based regulation will become critical. The industry needs rules that prevent safety incidents without slowing down the development of this nascent industry. Oliver Wyman aviation partners have extensive drone expertise that is increasingly relevant to a wide range of industries.

Read our drones article in the Oliver Wyman Risk Journal, which was adopted from a story that first appeared through our contributing role to Forbes.

Global Commercial Drones: The Race is On

The number of registered commercial drone operators is rapidly increasing worldwide.

1What can the US do to take the lead in the drone industry?

The FAA needs to develop more reasonable and globally competitive regulations. Incremental rule updates that are risk-based and closely track industry developments will help the US catch up to other countries.
2Why do people distinguish between recreational and commercial drone use?

This distinction mirrors the manned aircraft world, where commercial pilots are responsible for transporting large numbers of passengers safely in large aircraft and are held to the highest level of experience and training than recreational pilots. Regulators are realizing that these categories don’t make sense for drones. Instead, regulations should categorize drones based on size and the actual risk posed.
3Do FAA regulations address privacy concerns?

No. Privacy will be the next frontier for lawmakers and regulators to consider for drones. It will be important to have a regulatory framework in place that is based on actual risk that this new technology poses.