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After struggling to get a drone business off the ground in Europe, Airbus is starting a drone services subsidiary in Atlanta.

After struggling to get a drone business off the ground in Europe, Airbus is starting a drone services subsidiary in Atlanta. Source: Airbus
France's Airbus is getting into the commercial drone services industry with Airbus Aerial,a new subsidiary based in Atlanta. Though there is still a lot of regulatory ambiguity in this area in the US, companies are rushing in to be prepared for what they see as a potentially huge market. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates the market for drone services will exceed $127 billion by 2020.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, Airbus has faced "a series of stumbles and false starts" while trying to get a drone business off the ground in Europe. This has put the company at a disadvantage compared to large rivals such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Israel Aerospace Industries.
To try to close the gap, Airbus Aerial will focus on imaging technology and project management. The services the company will provide could cater to industries as wide-ranging as agriculture, insurance, forestry and oil and gas.
These sectors in the US have been clamoring for more lenient regulations on commercial drone usage. Many companies already have waivers to use drones for these purposes. Regulation remains a concern, though not big enough to completely deter investment. Companies such as Airbus are more worried with being left behind.
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