Forecasters expect spending on the autonomous aircraft market to expand at a nearly 25 percent annual growth rate and reach $325 billion over the next two decades, as industries related to such activities as agriculture, firefighting, and telecommunications increasingly recognize the value of its applications, according to a report released on March 16 by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and management consultants Avascent. The report, titled “Continuing to Think Bigger: Autonomous Aircraft and the Transformation in Aviation,” explores the next chapter of aviation and its potential to transform daily life while expanding what it calls America’s longstanding leadership in global aviation.
“Autonomous aviation has the potential to change life as we know it,” said AIA president and CEO Eric Fanning. “Government and industry must come together to realize the potential of the autonomous aviation market, unite behind a central plan to make it a reality, and use this opportunity to preserve U.S. leadership in aviation.”
