Drone-Based Urban Air Quality Sensor Market Report 2025

The drone-based urban air quality sensor market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.16 billion in 2024 to $1.36 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.6%. The growth observed during the historic period is due to a rise in urban air pollution incidents, stronger regulatory focus on environmental monitoring, increased use of drones for environmental assessments, the expansion of government-funded pollution control initiatives, and heightened public awareness of air quality concerns.

The drone-based urban air quality sensor market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.57 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2%. The growth anticipated in the forecast period is driven by an increasing demand for real-time air quality data in urban areas, rising investments in smart city infrastructure, heightened emphasis on mitigating public health risks, broader use of drones for environmental compliance, and greater adoption of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. Key trends during this period include progress in drone sensor miniaturization, advancements in multi-sensor payloads, wider adoption of cloud-based technologies, integration of advanced analytics, and improvements in battery and propulsion systems.

The growth of the drone-based urban air quality sensor market is expected to be driven by the rise in air pollution. Air pollution involves the presence of harmful substances in the atmosphere, such as gases, particulates, or biological molecules, which can negatively impact human health, the environment, and the climate. This increase in pollution is largely caused by vehicle emissions, which release significant amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter into the air. Drone-based urban air quality sensors contribute to reducing pollution by providing real-time monitoring of harmful emissions throughout cities. These sensors improve environmental management by identifying pollution hotspots, enhancing data accuracy, and enabling timely interventions to promote healthier urban living. For example, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency in May 2025, about 66 million tons of pollutants were emitted into the atmosphere in the United States in 2023. Consequently, the rising levels of air pollution are fueling the expansion of the drone-based urban air quality sensor market.

Leading companies in the drone-based urban air quality sensor market are focusing on developing innovative technological solutions, such as AI-enabled autonomous drone systems, to enhance emission detection accuracy and real-time monitoring. AI-enabled autonomous drone systems are drones that use artificial intelligence to operate, navigate, and carry out tasks without human intervention. For instance, in June 2025, Percepto Ltd., an Israel-based autonomous inspection and monitoring company, introduced an AI-powered emission detector designed for drone-based methane surveys conducted remotely. This advanced solution automates optical gas imaging (OGI) inspections using autonomous drones equipped with AI algorithms that detect and flag methane emissions in real time, allowing scalable, frequent monitoring over large areas without the need to increase field personnel. The system provides precise alerts including geolocation, timestamps, and environmental data, enabling operators to respond quickly, enhance safety, reduce operational expenses, and comply with upcoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methane regulations.

In April 2025, Project Canary, a US-based provider of environmental data and emissions monitoring, formed a partnership with Sniffer Robotics Inc. This collaboration aims to develop an innovative solution that improves the detection, localization, and instant quantification of methane emissions at landfill sites, delivering actionable insights for operators to better understand, report, and mitigate their environmental impact. Sniffer Robotics Inc., also US-based, specializes in developing drone-based methane and greenhouse gas detection technologies.

Major players in the drone-based urban air quality sensor market are ZainTech., Met One Instruments Inc., Volatus Aerospace Inc., Aeromon Oy, Aeroqual Limited, Percepto Ltd., Soarability Pte. Ltd., SoftBlue S.A., Oizom Instruments Pvt. Ltd., Bridger Photonics Inc., Black Swift Technologies LLC., EarthSense Systems Limited, Flybi Technologies Private Limited, Prana Air Private Limited, Recon Aerial Media Inc., Sky-Drones Technologies Ltd, Sniffer Robotics Inc., Botlink LLC, Atom Aviation Services Private Limited, Eqviv Technologies Pvt. Ltd., and Scentroid Inc.

North America was the largest region in the drone-based urban air quality sensor market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in drone-based urban air quality sensor report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the drone-based urban air quality sensor market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The rapid escalation of U.S. tariffs and the resulting trade tensions in spring 2025 are significantly impacting the utilities sector, particularly in power generation, grid infrastructure, and renewable energy projects. Higher duties on imported equipment such as turbines, transformers, solar panels, and battery storage systems have increased capital and operational costs for utility providers, forcing them to reconsider project timelines or pass on expenses to consumers through higher energy rates. The water and waste management segments are also affected, with tariffs driving up the cost of essential machinery, piping, and treatment technologies. Additionally, retaliatory tariffs have disrupted global supply chains for critical raw materials like rare earth metals used in clean energy technologies, further complicating the transition to sustainable energy sources. The sector must now prioritize domestic sourcing, digitalization, and efficiency-driven innovations to manage escalating costs while ensuring energy security and regulatory compliance.

A drone-based urban air quality sensor is a monitoring system installed on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that measures pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone in real time throughout various parts of a city. Its main function is to deliver real-time, high-resolution air quality data at different altitudes and in areas that are difficult to access. This enables cities to pinpoint pollution hotspots, monitor emission sources, and support data-driven decisions for public health and environmental protection.

The primary types of drone-based urban air quality sensors include fixed-wing drones, rotary-wing drones, and hybrid drones. Fixed-wing drones are UAVs with rigid wings, similar to traditional airplanes, that generate lift through forward motion. These drones carry different sensors, including gas sensors, particulate matter sensors, multi-sensor arrays, and more. They are used for applications such as air pollution monitoring, emission source detection, industrial monitoring, research, and academic purposes. The main users of this technology are governments and municipalities, environmental agencies, industrial research organizations, and others.

The drone-based urban air quality sensor market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides drone-based urban air quality sensor market statistics, including drone-based urban air quality sensor industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a drone-based urban air quality sensor market share, detailed drone-based urban air quality sensor market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the drone-based urban air quality sensor industry. This drone-based urban air quality sensor market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The drone-based urban air quality sensor market consists of sales of portable calibration kits, air quality sensors, sensor calibration kits, noise and vibration dampening kits, and optical imaging sensors. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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