The drone economy is about to take off fast, a $355B market and a new rule could make Drones-as-a-Service the next big thing episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 26, 2026 · 11 MIN

The drone economy is about to take off fast, a $355B market and a new rule could make Drones-as-a-Service the next big thing

from The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The economics of drone operations are about to change. One operator supervising ten autonomous aircraft could redefine cost and margin for delivery and inspection. That future hinges on Part 108, a proposed FAA/TSA rule that moves what are currently waiver-only experiments to a national standard. Here to break down the implications is James McDanolds, Program Chair at Sonoran Desert Institute’s School of Uncrewed Technology.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The economics of drone operations are about to change. One operator supervising ten autonomous aircraft could redefine cost and margin for delivery and inspection. That future hinges on Part 108, a proposed FAA/TSA rule that moves what are currently waiver-only experiments to a national standard. Here to break down the implications is James McDanolds, Program Chair at Sonoran Desert Institute’s School of Uncrewed Technology. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The drone economy is about to take off fast, a $355B market and a new rule could make Drones-as-a-Service the next big thing

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The economics of drone operations are about to change. One operator supervising ten autonomous aircraft could redefine cost and margin for delivery and inspection. That future hinges on Part 108, a proposed FAA/TSA rule that moves what are currently...

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