Autonomous Aircraft Market Overview and Introduction

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) demarcated an autonomous aircraft as an unmanned or fully-automated aircraft that does not necessitate pilot interference for flying the aircraft. The current automatic aircraft fleets that both military & civil organizations possess are operating with the help of autopilot features and operators to some extent. Moreover, the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence in autonomous aircraft is helping to enhance the functioning and efficiency, augmenting the growth of the autonomous aircraft market.

The rising interest in commercial autonomous aircraft as a proficient method of traveling is the main consideration that is driving the growth of the autonomous aircraft market. Also, autonomous aircraft reduce human efforts, mistakes, cost of components, and improve productivity, which will further help in the development of the overall market during the forecasted timeframe. The increasing adoption of fully-automated aircraft for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, combat, and electronic warfare is a major factor that will support the market growth over the coming years. For instance, in March 2019, Sikorsky, a helicopter-maker has unveiled its intentions to manufacture a fully autonomous system that is primarily for helicopters. These active investments by key industry participants in the market are further promoting the market growth.

The rising incidences of human mistakes and errors in the field of artificial intelligence have encouraged the requirement for adopting advanced technologies in aircraft. For instance, an analysis report by Naval Postgraduate School, California states that among 287 causal factors attributed to 68 accidents, 65 percent of the factors were associated with human errors. These autonomous technologies eliminate accidents occurring due to human errors. Furthermore, advanced automated technologies are easily accessible in the market and are available at comparatively low costs, which is fuelling the growth of the autonomous aircraft market. Besides, the utilization of advanced technologies reduces human efforts.

The autonomous aircraft market can be segmented into the following categories – By Technology, By Component, By End-Use, and By Region

Autonomous Aircraft Market By Technology

Based on technology, the autonomous aircraft market can be classified into Increasingly Autonomous (IA) and fully autonomous. The increasing autonomous segment includes semi-autonomous aircraft and is expected to grow at a moderate rate over the coming years. The fully autonomous segment is projected to hold the highest CAGR over the forecast timeframe. The utilization of fully autonomous aircraft in a wide range of sectors, including defense and commercial applications is anticipated to showcase a high growth rate in the market.

Autonomous Aircraft Market By Component

Based on the components, the autonomous aircraft market can be segmented into cameras & sensors, software, Air Data Inertial Reference Units (ADIRU), intelligent servos, flight management computers, radars & transponders, propulsion systems, and actuation systems. In 2019, the flight management computers segment held the largest market share and is expected to showcase moderate growth over the projected timeframe. The cameras & sensors segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR over the coming years. The high growth rate of this segment can be attributed to the utilization of software algorithms that provide instruction to aircraft to control several installed systems and monitor autonomous aircraft.

Autonomous Aircraft Market By End-Use

Based on end-use, the autonomous aircraft market can be classified into commercial aircraft, combat & ISR, cargo & delivery aircraft, air medical services, personal air vehicles, and others. The others segment includes agriculture, science & research, survey, mapping, and photography. The commercial aircraft segment is expected to register productive growth over the projected timeframe. The propelling installation of advanced autonomous components for more autonomous commercial aircraft is a prime factor that is predicted to drive the market growth of the commercial aircraft segment during the forecast timeframe. For instance, in August 2020, Reliable Robotics announced the completion of successful test flights of remote-piloted passenger airplanes in the U.S.

Autonomous Aircraft Market By Region

Based on the region, the global autonomous aircraft market can be classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (ROW). The ROW includes Latin America and the Middle East & Africa. This regional growth can be attributed to the increasing number of companies in the autonomous aircraft market and increasing investments in research & development activities. These activities may boost the development of advanced technologies, further resulting in the growth of the autonomous aircraft market.

Autonomous Aircraft Market Prominent Players

Major companies functioning in the autonomous aircraft market include Northrop Grumman Corporation, Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation, The Boeing Company, Raytheon Company, SAAB AB, BAE Systems plc, Airbus SAS, Embraer, and Bell Helicopter. These industry participants are primarily focusing on product innovations. Moreover, these market players are focusing on securing contracts from governments and airline carriers for long term partnerships and adopting merger & acquisition strategies to grow in the market.