The Next Big Drone Opportunity: A Potential $200 Billion-Plus Global Services Market Takes Shape

NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Market News Updates News Commentary - If looking at where the real money in drones could be made, the story is becoming less about selling the aircraft and much more about getting paid for what those aircraft actually do. Businesses are increasingly using drones for precision agricultural surveying, inspect power lines, monitor pipelines, survey construction sites, manage crops, map land, secure facilities and collect data that would otherwise take far more time and manpower to gather. That creates a much bigger revenue opportunity because a drone can become part of an ongoing service rather than a one-time equipment sale, especially as application uses are growing globally, not just in the U.S.  One recent market estimate puts global drone-services revenue at $29.9 billion in 2025 and $109.2 billion by 2030, representing nearly 30% annual growth offering opportunity for Leading Tech Companies on the move that may include:  ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO).

And this could be just the beginning. As AI, autonomous flight, drone-in-a-box systems and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations become more widely adopted, companies should be able to run more missions with fewer people while generating revenue from the flight, the data and the software behind it. Another recent forecast is even more aggressive, projecting the global drone-services market could reach $261.3 billion by 2034. For investors, that's the part worth watching: the biggest winners may not simply be the companies building drones, but the ones turning those drones into recurring revenue machines. If commercial adoption accelerates as expected, an industry generating tens of billions today could become a $100 billion-plus market this decade, with a credible path toward $200 billion–$300 billion+ over the following years.

Key revenue-growth drivers:

• Recurring revenue: Customers can pay continuously for inspections, monitoring, mapping and data services.
• AI adds value: Turning raw drone footage into useful analysis can create an additional software and analytics revenue stream.
• More missions per operator: Autonomous systems could allow businesses to dramatically increase fleet utilization.
• Infrastructure is a huge target: Utilities, construction, energy and transportation all need frequent inspections and monitoring.
• BVLOS could change the economics: Longer-range operations can open much larger commercial service areas.
• Multiple revenue streams: Hardware, flight operations, maintenance, software, analytics and data can all contribute to revenue.
• Aggressive upside case: If adoption and autonomy move faster than expected, the broader drone-services opportunity could potentially push toward $200B–$300B+ in annual global revenue over the next decade.

ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Secures Irish Aviation Authority Operational Authorization for Drone-Based Crop and Soil Nutrient Application Services  --  SORA-based authorization for ZenaDrone enables the Drone as a Service platform to deliver large-scale precision agriculture applications to farmers and supports planned expansion into additional European markets  --  ZenaTech, Inc. ($ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology company specializing in AI drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its Drone as a Service subsidiary will expand its precision agriculture drone-based services to farmers in Ireland. The Company received Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) approval from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), granted under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) guidelines. The approval was given to its drone subsidiary, ZenaDrone, at the Company's EMEA DaaS headquarters located near Dublin, Ireland, authorizing large-scale targeted aerial application of fertilizer, lime, bio stimulants, and other non-plant protection products on Irish farmland and granular spreading at scale, helping farmers reduce product inputs, operating costs, risk to personnel, and environmental impact.

"This milestone for ZenaDrone and our Drone as a Service platform demonstrate that we can clear the regulatory bar for the initiation of large-scale aerial precision agriculture in  Ireland and beyond," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech. "EASA's framework is used across the European Union, as this approval provides a replicable template to apply market by market rather than starting fresh. We believe that precision agriculture is a large and underpenetrated opportunity globally, and having an approved and repeatable path forward will aid our roll out and recurring Drone as a Service revenue growth as we plan future expansion across Europe and into other regions."

Precision agriculture is a sector facing historically high fertilizer costs and increasing environmental scrutiny. Drone-based aerial application allows precise, targeted spreading on terrain unsuitable for heavy machinery, reducing soil compaction and run-off risk while cutting input costs and personnel exposure. Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency reported in 2026 that nitrogen concentrations in Irish rivers rose 10% year-over-year, with excess fertilizer run-off cited as a leading cause, underscoring demand for more precise application methods of the kind that ZenaTech's ZenaDrone and DaaS platform are now authorized to provide.

The SORA authorization allows the company to operate complex, autonomous aerial missions at scale, without requiring customers to navigate aviation safety regulation, pilot certification, hardware costs and maintenance directly. Management believes this regulatory pathway supports its broader strategy of scaling DaaS as a recurring-revenue, subscription-based service across multiple geographies and industry verticals, including forestry, renewables, construction, and infrastructure monitoring.  Continued…  Read this full release and additional news for ZENA by visiting:  https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

In other industry recent drone operation news of note:

Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, recently announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.

"Our second quarter results reflect the continued execution of a strategy that is transforming Red Cat into a leading all-domain autonomy platform for defense and national security," said Jeff Thompson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Red Cat. "Revenue increased more than fivefold year-over-year as we scaled deliveries, expanded production capacity and continued to invest in technologies that enhance our competitive position across air, land and maritime operations. We also expanded gross margins 39% year-over-year and 27% sequentially, demonstrating the benefits of scale, production efficiencies and a more diversified product portfolio.

EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world's leading advanced air mobility ("AAM") technology platform company, recently announced that its proprietary EH216-S, a pilotless human-carrying electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has successfully completed its first public flight at Hong Kong Cyberport. The flight marked the first public demonstration since the first phase of validation flights began in mid-August under the HKSAR Government's Low-Altitude Economy "Regulatory Sandbox X" Trial Project (the "Project"). It also represents a significant milestone in the development of a three-dimensional low-altitude transportation network and the validation of regular operations across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The landmark flight was witnessed by distinguished government officials and industry leaders, including The Hon Michael Wong, Deputy Financial Secretary and Head of the Working Group on Developing Low Altitude Economy; Ms. Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics; Ms. Clara Wong, Director-General of Civil Aviation; Mr. Wong Leung Pak, Matthew, Chairman of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited; Mr. Simon Chan, Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport; Dr Rocky Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport; as well as Mr. Zhao Wang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang; Mr. Conor Yang, Chief Financial Officer of EHang; and Ms. Xiaona Lee, China General Manager of EHang.

Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), a leading provider of autonomous systems and next-generation defense and security technologies, announced recently that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aran Defense Ltd., the defense-focused division of Aran Ltd. (ARAN), an established Israeli engineering and manufacturing company. The acquisition is expected to add multidisciplinary defense engineering manufacturing operations to support local growing demand for Ondas' autonomous platform solutions.

The acquisition is expected to significantly expand Ondas' local manufacturing and industrialization capacity in Israel, providing dedicated engineering, integration and production resources to support increasing demand across the Company's autonomous defense businesses. Aran Defense supports programs for governmental customers in Israel, as well as leading international defense companies. The acquisition will deepen Ondas' investment in Israel's sovereign defense-industrial base, expanding domestic engineering and production capacity for critical autonomous defense systems.

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO), an award-winning, industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, recently announced that it has been selected as a Qualified Supplier under the Government of Canada's Defence Drone Initiative ("DDI") Marketplace as of August 28, 2026, with qualification across all five capability streams of the DDI Marketplace.

The acceptance into a DDI Request for Supply Arrangement establishes Draganfly as a qualified supplier within the DDI Marketplace and provides the Company with a pathway for contract opportunities supporting the Canadian Armed Forces ("CAF") and the Canadian Coast Guard involving uncrewed and autonomous systems and related capabilities. Draganfly has qualified across all five DDI streams: UxS and Counter-UxS Systems; C2, Communications, Data, EW and Cyber Systems; Integration, Interoperability and Engineering Services; Test, Evaluation and Training; and Innovation and Experimentation.

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