Airbus Launches Unmanned Aerial Service

At the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI) Xponential trade show for unmanned systems and robotics in Dallas this week, French aerospace conglomerate Airbus launched a service called Airbus Aerial. The subsidiary will merge a variety of aerospace technologies, such as satellite and drone imagery, and use targeted software and analytics to produce solutions for a wide variety of customers.

Imagery and data derived from Airbus Aerial’s services can be used within industries such as insurance, agriculture, oil and gas, utilities, and state and local governments, to name a few. For example, using satellite imagery and drones, the company can quickly produce updated imagery from a weather disaster area to help organizations evaluate what services are needed.

“Using an integrated combination of assets, from UAS platform to satellite imagery, Airbus Aerial is rolling out a wide range of new imagery services,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defense and Space. “In the future, additional pillars of the Airbus Aerial activities will be in the area of cargo drone services as well as providing connectivity via aerial assets.”

As in the disaster response example, Airbus Aerial’s future cargo drone services could quickly bring in relief products and support to the affected areas.

Airbus Aerial is planning several international bases, including its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta led by Airbus Aerial president Jesse Kallman.