UK Commercial drone operators staying in business.

The Civil Aviation Authority in the UK recently updated their commercial operator list. There are now 1461 legal drone companies in England, Scotland and Wales. I thought it would be interesting to see who was still about from the first 100.

Of the first 100 only 28 are still CAA registered to fly. Those include two police forces and two educational/research establishments so its only 24 companies.

If we look at the first 1000 companies to comply then the number left in business is 622 or just over 62% still operating drones commercially.

This is just about what the business survival rate is expected to be in the US.

Data from the Small Business Administration (SBA) states that nearly 66 percent of small businesses will survive their first two years. When the data is extrapolated four years out, the number of surviving businesses has been consistently near the 55 to 60 percent mark.

Now the first 100 of course were pioneers who operated in a brand new market that the public didn’t know much about. They didn’t know they could use RPA or that they wanted RPA services. It was harder for them to make headway. This is pre DJI days when many platforms were home brewed.

The next 1361 operators are riding on their shoulders!

Well done to the 24, long may they continue.