The Commercial Drone Industry in Numbers: State of the Industry Report Reactions

Join us as we unpack the results of our 2026 State of the Industry survey, developed in partnership with Pilot Institute and based on responses from 885 commercial drone operators, project managers, and service providers. As the industry navigates the proposed Part 108 rule, the fallout from the FCC's December 2025 Covered List decision, and the early stages of autonomy adoption, this survey offers a data-backed look at how the people doing the work are actually thinking about where things stand.

This session will walk through the survey's key findings and put them in context: what operators are saying about regulatory uncertainty, how the push toward domestic drone fleets is actually playing out in procurement decisions, where the industry's real workforce gap lies, and what operators expect for growth over the next two years.

Attendees will come away with:

• A clear picture of how operators feel about Part 108 and what's driving the uncertainty around it
• Data-backed insight into how the FCC's Covered List is reshaping fleet and procurement decisions
• A view of where the industry's workforce and skills gaps really are, and what that means for hiring and training priorities

Moderator

Matt Collins, Content Manager, Commercial UAV Portfolio

Matt Collins is a Content Manager at Commercial UAV Portfolio. Prior to joining Diversified Communications, Matt covered the world of baseball and other sports for over a decade. When not writing he enjoys learning about new developments in the world of technology, spending time outdoors, and reading.