AirData crosses 120 utility customers as drone use surges

AirData UAV has reached a significant milestone in the energy and utilities sector, announcing that more than 120 organizations worldwide now use its drone fleet management platform. The achievement comes as drone adoption across critical infrastructure continues to accelerate and operators prepare for what could be the biggest regulatory shift in commercial drone operations in a decade.

The timing is notable. Drones have become an increasingly important tool for inspecting power lines, pipelines, substations, emissions monitoring sites, and other critical infrastructure. As these programs grow from small pilot projects into large-scale operations, companies face new challenges around compliance, maintenance tracking, pilot oversight, and documentation.

According to industry estimates, the inspection drone market reached $11.64 billion in 2025 and is expected to more than double to $25.82 billion by 2030. Within that growth, the energy and power sector is projected to represent the largest share of the utility drone market in 2026.

AirData says it has been supporting that expansion firsthand. The platform is now used by electric utilities, oil and gas operators, and utility service providers around the world. Overall, AirData reports that its system has logged more than 63 million drone flights and supports a community of roughly 457,000 active pilots across 232 countries and territories.

For many energy operators, managing a drone fleet involves much more than simply flying aircraft. Large organizations often oversee multiple sites, dozens of pilots, extensive maintenance schedules, and strict regulatory requirements. Keeping accurate records is essential, especially when operations involve critical infrastructure or safety-sensitive environments.

“The energy sector has been one of the most operationally complex verticals we serve,” says Eran Steiner, CEO and founder of AirData UAV. “These programs operate under strict regulatory requirements, manage complex multi-site fleets, and need documentation that holds up to scrutiny.”

Steiner believes the industry’s next growth phase will be driven in part by expanded beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, which allow drones to fly farther than a pilot can directly see. BVLOS operations are widely viewed as a key step toward unlocking larger and more efficient inspection programs.

That possibility is becoming more realistic thanks to the FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule. Released as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in August 2025, Part 108 aims to replace today’s case-by-case waiver process with a standardized framework for BVLOS drone operations. If adopted, the rule could make it easier for energy companies to deploy drones at scale while increasing the importance of detailed operational records and compliance reporting.

AirData says its platform was built with those documentation and compliance requirements in mind, positioning it to support operators as the regulatory environment evolves.

The company’s customers appear to see value in that approach. Richard Turner, specialty services manager at CAN-USA, an offshore oil and gas drone services provider, says AirData helps his team manage operations with the level of oversight typically expected in traditional aviation.

According to Turner, the platform provides detailed visibility into aircraft performance, battery health, maintenance status, and pilot activity. He also highlights AirData’s 3D Player feature, describing it as an unmanned aviation equivalent of a flight recorder that helps improve transparency and credibility during offshore oil and gas operations.

Looking ahead, AirData will showcase its energy and utility solutions at the 10th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit, scheduled for June 22-24 in Houston, Texas. The company will host a panel titled “The Data Driven Drone Program: Compliant, Audit-Ready, and Built to Scale,” exploring how leading energy and industrial operators use verifiable flight data to meet regulatory requirements, conform to IS-BAO and FAA Part 5 safety standards, and scale confidently into BVLOS and other complex missions.

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