GUTMA Global UTM Ecosystems’ Readiness Index 2024

Report

2025

The Global UTM Association (GUTMA) announced the publication of the Global UTM Ecosystems’ Readiness Index 2024, with PwC Drone Powered Solutions having the honour of leading this work within a Task Force.

This comprehensive document highlights the Uncrewed Traffic System (UTM) ecosystem readiness levels across nearly 70 countries across the globe and explores present solutions in regulations, governance, strategies, operations, technologies and economic tools that support commercial and scalable advanced drone operations, like the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) of goods and people.

Furthermore, the study outlines examples of best practices for facilitating commercial and scalable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations and extending innovative services worldwide. By implementing these practices, stakeholders can accelerate advancements and fully realise the transformative potential of digital drone technologies in aviation.

Main Goals of the Study

The Global UTM Ecosystems’ Readiness Index 2024 report underlines the following goals:

Perform a comprehensive global assessment of UTM ecosystems, an initiative that has not been previously carried out.
Define key dimensions of the UTM ecosystem and its stakeholders, emphasizing the direct connection between each enabler and its corresponding stakeholders. The effectiveness of an overall UTM ecosystem depends on a deep understanding of the complex interconnections among stakeholders, each of whom plays a critical role in developing its dimension.
Elevate the UTM discourse beyond regulatory, operational, and technological considerations, delving into the same pivotal dimensions of governance, strategies and the application of economic tools. This approach is aimed at planning and implementing of the low-altitude economy, facilitating commercial and scalable BVLOS operations.

Methodology

Following the established objectives, a global benchmarking methodology consisting of six dimensions was developed, contributing to the achievement of the mature UTM ecosystem in each country. The evaluation of dimensions was based on maturity parameters (Readiness Index), where 1 refers to Nascent, 2 - Emerging, 3 - Developed, 4 - Advanced and 5 - Mature.

How developed is the regulatory framework concerning UAS operations or UTM relating to operational, as well as technical, governance, and economical aspects?

1. Nascent - No basic UAS operations regulations.
2. Emerging - Basic UAS operations regulations covering foundational aspects.
3. Developed - Nationally implemented UAS operations regulations; initial UTM framework released.
4. Advanced - Advanced UTM regulations for commercial BVLOS operations.
5. Mature - Fully implemented UTM regulations aligned with international standards.

How diverse is the collaboration between public and private stakeholders in decision-making processes related to the UTM ecosystem (such as structure, roles, financing, etc.)?

1. Nascent - No public-private UAS operations/ UTM collaboration.
2. Emerging - UAS operations/ UTM led by public sector with limited private sector involvement.
3. Developed - Active public-private collaboration on UAS operations/ UTM decision making.
4. Advanced - UTM governance structures defined and partially implemented.
5. Mature - UTM governance structures fully implemented with smooth collaboration between public-private stakeholders.

Do the stakeholders have clear visions, objectives, and approaches, supported by a detailed strategic document, to develop the UTM ecosystem?

1. Nascent - No overarching strategic vision.
2. Emerging - Organisational-level UAS operations/ UTM strategies.
3. Developed - UAS operations/ UTM national strategies supported by roadmaps.
4. Advanced - UTM strategies pre-defined and aligned with aviation goals like the Advanced Air Mobility.
5. Mature - UTM strategies fully implemented and aligned with aviation and digitalisation goals.

How are the operational methods designed to enable and sustain the commercial and scalable BVLOS drone services within the UTM ecosystem?

1. Nascent - No airspace structures segregation for UAS operations.
2. Emerging - Traditional airspace structures segregation for UAS operations.
3. Developed - Implemented UAS operations airspace structures.
4. Advanced - Segregated UTM airspace.
5. Mature - Seamless ATM/UTM airspaces integration.

What operational UTM tools, representing different levels of UTM services, have been implemented to enable and sustain commercial and scalable BVLOS drone services within the UTM ecosystem?

1. Nascent - No UAS operations/ UTM tools or systems.
2. Emerging - UAS operations foundational tool (e.g. geoawareness website/mobile app).
3. Developed - Basic UTM system with foundational services (e.g. flight authorisation).
4. Advanced - Advanced UTM system with advanced services (e.g. dynamic airspace management).
5. Mature - Seamless ATM/UTM systems integration.

What is the maturity of stakeholders' economic understanding of the low-altitude economy enabled by commercial and scalable BVLOS drone services within the UTM ecosystem?

1. Nascent - No use of economic tools for low altitude economy.
2. Emerging - Initial market analysis identifies demand.
3. Developed - High-level value chain mapping identifies services and costs/revenues.
4. Advanced - End-level pricing strategy identifies services/ value.
5. Mature - Complete business plan ensures growth.

Key Findings

Based on the comprehensive analysis of UTM ecosystem dimensions per each country, key findings are the following ones:

In the legislation dimension, it is essentials to establish BVLOS operations-oriented regulations. Governments and regulators must design harmonised frameworks to facilitate scalable drone operations, with well-defined authorisations and safety standards tailored to the unique requirements of BVLOS operations. Developing these frameworks demands deep regulatory insights of an operation-centric risk approach, along with the capacity to navigate the complexities of multi-stakeholder non and commercially driven environments.

In the governance dimension, it is crucial for the public sector to become more actively involved, fostering collaboration among government ministries, aviation authorities, and local stakeholders with private sector innovators. Public-private partnerships are essential to unlock the full potential of UTM ecosystems as foundational elements toward digital aviation, requiring alignment on governance, funding, and execution models.

In the strategy dimension, it is essential to create or update strategies at both national and organisational levels. Many regions lack forward-looking plans that incorporate the latest UTM technologies and market trends. This underscores the necessity for strategies that prioritise business and market analysis. Without such analysis, stakeholders cannot navigate modern market complexities or seize new opportunities. As business data becomes accessible, it is an opportune time for stakeholders to develop strategies that address operational scalability, market entry pathways, and stakeholder cooperation, ensuring they remain relevant in this swiftly changing sector.

In operations and technology dimensions, it is vital to develop operational and technological solutions tailored specifically for BVLOS operations. To ensure safe and efficient advanced drone activities, there is a need for sophisticated UTM systems with dynamic airspace management and data exchange standards.

In the business and market dimension, more than 60% of surveyed countries scored 1 out of 5, highlighting a deficiency in business analysis. It also results from the absence of publicly available information on existing business tools. The adoption of business tools — including market-sizing methodologies, value chain analyses, and tailored business cases — is essential to establish a strong foundation for the low-altitude economy. These tools will allow stakeholders to make informed decisions - assess opportunities, create sustainable financial models, and promote long-term growth.

As a result of main findings based on the UTM ecosystem`s dimensions and their level of maturity, the comprehensive map was created. Studied countries were divided into five tiers, where 1 indicates that the country is quite mature in all dimensions, while 5 suggests a nascent state of UTM implementation and following commercial and scalable BVLOS drone services.

PwC Drone Powered Solutions - Global Center of Excellence in Drone and Geospatial Technologies - is a trusted partner with the global presence and scope of activity to give guidance in advanced drone services and market. We bring the unique expertise and methodologies of our team, which has experience in strategic advisory, technology consulting, operations and managed services, as well as data analytics.

How can PwC Drone Powered Solutions help you?

Analysing country-specific drone regulatory landscapes and development of frameworks along with implementation of roadmaps tailored to each country’s specifications

In-depth analysis and identification of capacity-building needs of public and private stakeholders along with the development of processes to support their collaboration in decision-making related to the UTM ecosystem

Developing comprehensive UTM strategies at both national and organisational levels, ensuring alignment with aviation and digital transformation objectives

Consulting on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services implementation, encompassing different market dynamics, regulatory landscapes, technological environments, and operating models

Providing expert guidance on a set of advanced technical solutions to go from project inception and strategic evolution to the effective implementation of UTM infrastructure and services

Conducting the UTM market analysis and sizing as well as development of value chain mapping, pricing strategies, and business plans to scale operations and services

Explore the key insights and gain a deeper understanding of UTM ecosystems' readiness levels of countries across the globe by accessing the complete GUTMA report provided below.