According to a Frost and Sullivan study, the world can expect as many as 430,000 autonomous aerial vehicles providing both passenger and parcel delivery by 2040, and the initial operations and buildup will begin as early as 2022. According to their study, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), New Zealand and Singapore will be the initial hot spots for implementation of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) networks.
Joe Praveen Vijayakumar, senior mobility analyst for Frost & Sullivan said, “Globally, almost 50 cities are considering the feasibility of UAM, and most of the applications are focused on cargo drones, which will eventually open up the market for passenger UAM vehicles."
There are still challenges for UAM providers that must be resolved, including issues of safety, noise, infrastructure, and the regulatory structure.
Still, it appears that UAM vehicles will become an operational reality within the next 30 years.