Public support for new forms of air transport, such as cargo drones, is strong – as long as it serves the public good.
Future Flight technology could take off in UK with public support
People are likely to support new forms of air transport, such as cargo-carrying drones and Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles (eVTOLs) – if they serve the public good, new research reveals.
But public positivity in the UK about ‘Future Flight’ is tempered by concerns including socio-economic exclusion, accountability and transparency, regulation of Future Flight technologies’ rollout, cybersecurity, privacy and impacts on biodiversity and wildlife.
People expressed a desire for independent bodies to oversee rollout and operation of these new technologies to ensure trustworthiness and that publics concerns and expectations are considered throughout.
On the whole, people feel that the benefits of Future Flight technologies could outweigh the drawbacks where their use clearly delivers public benefits for wider society. There’s also strong support for greater levels of government involvement in the technology and transport sectors, as well as on climate change. But publics expressed an urgent need for independent bodies to be involved in oversighting these new technologies or transport systems to ensure public concerns and expectations are considered as they develop.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), through the Future Flight Challenge, researchers at the University of Birmingham led two comprehensive studies – a UK public dialogue (supported and co-funded by UKRI Sciencewise), alongside a national representative survey.
The three Future Flight technologies considered were: Non-passenger-carrying drones; Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles (eVTOLs); and Electric/hydrogen Regional Air Mobility (RAM).
UK citizens involved in the public dialogue deliberated over four months to develop a framework for the roll out of Future Flight technologies, systems, and services - based around 14 top-level principles and recommendations. The findings of this in-depth qualitative dialogue are also supported by a nationally representative data that shows how the concerns raised in the public dialogue map onto publics opinions.
Alongside these benefits, the top cited drawbacks focus on cyber security, their impact on wildlife, safety concerns, congestion in the sky, privacy and that they may only be accessible to the wealthiest in society. A geographical split in terms of perceived uses of these technologies is apparent; for both drones and eVTOLs, respondents are generally more likely to perceive them as more beneficial in remote and rural areas or areas poorly served by current transport system or services, compared to urban and suburban ones.
Future Flight Social Science Research Director Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker from the University of Birmingham commented: “On the whole, people feel that the benefits of Future Flight technologies could outweigh the drawbacks where their use clearly delivers public benefits for wider society. There’s also strong support for greater levels of government involvement in the technology and transport sectors, as well as on climate change. But publics expressed an urgent need for independent bodies to be involved in oversighting these new technologies or transport systems to ensure public concerns and expectations are considered as they develop.”
“UK citizens believe that these services and systems should receive investment and support if they offer something better than what we have already. The top-level findings highlight that Future flight systems and services should not only be accessible by the most wealthy in society, if they are to be successfully supported and rolled out in the UK. Using these technologies must strengthen future sustainability, accessibility, and affordability.”
Dependent on where people live they view these technologies in radically different ways. The findings of these studies are a really useful reminder that support for different transport systems or services is geography dependent – with different social needs across remote, rural, suburban and urban populations.
Gary Cutts, Future flight Challenge Director UKRI, commented: “Dependent on where people live they view these technologies in radically different ways. The findings of these studies are a really useful reminder that support for different transport systems or services is geography dependent – with different social needs across remote, rural, suburban and urban populations. There is no one size fits all and that there are many publics with different views. It is vital that we engage with this wide range of public hopes, concerns, and expectations about future flight in the UK and really consider the benefits or drawbacks across these different communities.”
Researchers used information from 3,279 survey participants and 43 dialogue participants to understand the public’s hopes and fears around the future operation of Future Flight technologies, systems, and services in the UK.
In a worst-case scenario, people worried that roll-out would be poorly managed, with little leadership, regulation, national policy, strategy or oversight to guide these technologies deployment. While also, due to overall lack of investment in UK transport, diverting investment away from other forms of public transport. They were also concerned about the sustainability and supply chain ethics of manufacturing and powering Future Flight vehicles.
However, in the best-case scenario, dialogue participants hoped Future Flight services could deliver social, environmental, and economic opportunities for all – creating opportunities for more accessible travel, including people living with disabilities, health conditions and those experiencing other barriers to accessing current public transport.
For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)782 783 2312. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 121 414 2772.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
The Future Flight Social Science Researcher Director and team lead a programme of research at the University of Birmingham, which is funded through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). As part of the wider programme of social science research funded by the Challenge, UKRI/Innovate UK commissioned:
A deliberative dialogue 43 participants reflective of the diversity of the UK over a series of 7 workshops From January-April 2024. The dialogue was supported by UKRI’s Sciencewise programme and delivered by Thinks Insight & Strategy.
A UK wide survey conducted by YouGov 28th March – 11th April 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 3,279 adults aged 18+ living in the UK. To ensure representativeness, quotas were set during fieldwork on age, gender, social grade, urban/rural status, and region. A small boost was applied in Northern Ireland.
About the Future Flight Challenge
The UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge is a £300 million programme, co-funded by government and industry, that is supporting the creation of the aviation ecosystem needed to accelerate the introduction of advanced air mobility (AAM), drones, and electric sub-regional aircraft in the UK. Delivered by Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the programme works with industry, academia, government, and regulators to transform how we connect people, transport goods, and deliver services in a sustainable way that provides socio-economic benefits using new types of air vehicles with novel technologies.
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK, part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency.
It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in business developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
About ESRC
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds world-leading research, data and postgraduate training in the economic, behavioural, social and data sciences to understand people and the world around us.
ESRC’s work helps raise productivity, address climate change, improve public services and generate a prosperous, inclusive, healthy and secure society.
About Sciencewise
Sciencewise is a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) programme which provides co-funding and support for organisations to undertake public dialogue. It enables policy makers to develop socially informed research and policy with a particular emphasis on science and technology, supporting high quality, best practice dialogue.
About Thinks Insight & Strategy
Thinks is one of the UK’s leading qualitative research agencies, providing high quality insight and strategic advice to clients across government, private and third sector. The team specialise in exploring complex topics with citizens, using inclusive and robust methods.
About YouGov
This research was carried out by YouGov, with respondents drawn from their panel of over 800,000 adults living in the UK who have signed up to take part in surveys.
Professor of Science, Knowledge and Belief in Society
Biographical and contact for Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham.
