Areas of application of unmanned aerial vehicles in the civil sector

Relevance. In recent years, remotely piloted aircraft systems have been the most dynamically developing sector of the aviation industry, and this trend is expected to continue. Until recently, most investment was in the military sector, but today the situation is gradually changing, demonstrating increased interest in the use of these aircraft for civilian purposes. The appeal of drones lies in their ability to reduce financial costs, increase efficiency in terms of flight range and task completion time, and minimize staff fatigue and safety risks during operations in which they are involved. Thus, the purpose of this article is to examine the areas and characteristics of drone applications outside the military sphere. The research methods include systematization, comparison, analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction. Results. The study provides a description of the market for military and civilian drones. It also highlights the areas of application of unmanned aerial vehicles by sector of public activity and by country. The novelty of the results lies in the comparative analysis of communication technologies for civilian drones. The practical significance of the study. The conclusions formulated in the article can be applied in practice to the structuring of airspace, which allows for the management of the density and complexity of drone traffic in civil aviation.