Challenges of Civil Application of ‘Drones’ for Commercial Purposes in the Logistics and Transportation Sector

‘Drone’ is a widely used term to refer to any aerial vehicle being operated by using remote commands from a pilot or relying on software for autonomous flight. This aircraft type is more formally known as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), often forming an integral part of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Introducing such aerial devices in several civil contexts has been considered one of the biggest disruptive technologies of the present decade. Nowadays, such aerial vehicles are being operated for multiple business activities intended for commercial purposes. Shortly, when it comes to the transportationTransportation sector, in addition to common use concerning surveillanceSurveillance and security services, it aims to carry goods for logistic services when delivering small parcels and spare parts. It is also expected to make even greater use of commercial drones in the coming years since the massive use of such an aircraft is creating a new market with large economic potential, thus leading the aeronautic industry to point out that the emerging technologies in the drone application have a positive impact on innovation at national levels. Nevertheless, the weakness of the related air operations in terms of safety in crowded urban environments and a lack of a stable global legal framework with adequate guarantees of privacy and other fundamental rights and values complicate the issue still further and constitute an obstacle to the full social acceptance of these flying machines.