Airbus has launched the U.S.-based operations of a new commercial drone start-up, named Airbus Aerial.
“Through Airbus Aerial, we are uniquely positioned and fully committed to advancing the commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry. It is bringing together partners from across the industry – ranging from vehicle manufacturers, data analytics companies, service providers and others – to enable data-focused services at large scale,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “Using an integrated combination of assets, from UAS platforms to satellite imagery, Airbus Aerial is rolling out a wide range of new imagery services. 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.”
The U.S.-based part of Airbus Aerial will be headquartered in Atlanta, and is led by Jesse Kallman, a UAS industry expert with more than 12 years of experience, including research at Georgia Tech, federal policy at the FAA, commercial UAS at Airware, and advocacy with groups like the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
“Drones are only a piece of a much larger picture for us,” said Kallman. “Airbus Aerial brings together a variety of aerospace technologies – including drones and satellites – combines them in a common software infrastructure, and applies industry-specific analytics to deliver tailored solutions to our customers’ biggest challenges.”
Recruitment for positions in software development, data analytics and drone operations, among other roles, has begun. Airbus Aerial is also looking for new partnerships to help bring these new services to market, officials noted.