PYHTÄÄ JANUARY, 2024 – During a panel discussion on “Nordic drone use and the state of the specific category – are we doing the right things and doing it right?” led by Jonas Stjernberg from Innoavia Oy at the Unmanned Nordic Conference UNC2024 in Oslo, Norway, Anders Martinsen from UAS Norway for the
first time presented holistic statistics on the number of drones owned by Nordic professional and hobby users.
The study commissioned by UAS Norway reveals that Finns own 414,000 drones.
The number is very large when compared to only ca 17, 700 registered drone users in Finland. While 26% of drone users claim to have registered as an operator, 50% report that they are aware of drone regulations but have decided to ignore them.
24% of drone owners are unaware of the obligation to register. Something is not right if only a quarter of drone operators have registered after three years with the new, European drone rules!
The panel also discussed statistics on operations in the specific category. Only ca 100 operational authorisations have been granted in Finland, compared to 87 in Denmark, 165 in Norway, and 101 in Sweden. It may take up to five months to negotiate and receive an operational authorisation whilst the pace of business is much more rapid. The very low level of operational authorisations in all Nordic
countries show, that the current implementation of drone rules severely limits the growth potential of unmanned aviation to benefit business and society.
Operator registrations amongst drone owners in the Nordic. Source: UAS Norway 2024.
Better compliance with drone regulations and further growth in professional drone use are seen to require:
- Drone rules that are easy to understand and comply with.
- Much faster permit processing in the specific category.
- Harmonised implementation of drone rules across Nordic and European
countries. - Intuitive online services to register as an operator and apply for permits, including annual payments as well as online access to and updating of the information.
Innoavia Oy (Ltd) is one of the top European Innovative Aviation consultancies based in Finland. Innoavia provides consultation for the drone industry on regulatory, operational, technical and business matters. Innoavia also advises municipalities, cities and regions on the advent of Urban Air Mobility and Innovative Aerial Services.
