AirMap to Shut Down LAANC Authorization Service

AirMap, a drone software company, announced on Tuesday that it will be shutting down its LAANC authorization service on July 1, 2023. LAANC, or Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, is a service that allows drone pilots to get permission to fly in controlled airspace.

AirMap also said that it is facing increasing competition from other LAANC providers, such as DroneDeploy and Aloft. The company said that it has been losing money on the service for quite a time now. 

In 2021, AirMap was acquired by DroneUp. At the time of acquisition, AirMap was providing UTM services for around 100,000 flights worldwide each day. DroneUp hoped to use AirMap’s data to further safety around its last-mile drone services.

The shutdown of AirMap's LAANC service will not affect drone pilots who have already been approved to fly in controlled airspace. Here’s the list of FAA-approved airports where LAANC is available. It is available at 541 LAANC Enabled Facilities and 732 airports.

AirMap is not the only LAANC provider that has faced financial challenges. In 2022, DroneDeploy announced that it was laying off 20% of its workforce. Aloft has also faced financial challenges, and it was acquired by Google in 2021. The financial challenges facing LAANC providers are a sign of the growing pains of the drone industry.

Despite the challenges, the drone industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts that the number of drones in the United States will reach 450,000 by 2025. As the drone industry grows, it is likely that more LAANC providers will emerge. However, it is also likely that some LAANC providers will continue to face financial challenges.

Here are some possible reasons why AirMap is shutting down its LAANC authorization service:

Financial challenges

Regulatory changes: The FAA is expected to make changes to its LAANC program in the coming months. These changes could make it more difficult for LAANC providers to operate.

Shift in focus: AirMap is focusing on other areas of its business. The company said that it is no longer able to devote the resources necessary to operate its LAANC service.

In a statement, the company said, “AirMap has evolved many times over its storied history, from an app to create no-fly zones over your house to a tool that empowers authorities to manage and monitor airspace. Over the past several months, our team has been hard at work building a next-generation product. Our new mission is to enable autonomy and beyond visual line-of-sight flight at scale.”

The shutdown of AirMap's LAANC service is a setback for the drone industry. However, it is not a sign that the industry is in trouble. As the industry matures, it is likely that more LAANC providers will emerge.

If you are curious to learn more about LAANC or concerned about finding an alternative LAANC service providers, you can visit the official FAA website, by clicking here.