In our previous blog article, “Forget About Sci-Fi. Flying Taxis Are Just Around the Corner!”, we discussed the role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, and highlighted their range of applications across various sectors — from medical deliveries and emergency interventions to firefighting and intra-city transport — and the value they can create for society.
As the prospect of drone-filled skies becomes more realistic than science fiction, Future Needs continues to research several aspects related to the social acceptance of drones through projects such as ImAFUSA, RefMap, and BURDI.
As part of this research, we conducted a small-scale qualitative survey in the streets of Athens. While our partners from the Municipality of Egaleo and TU Delft were flying a drone in a public park, we spoke with residents passing by to understand their perceptions of drone use in cities.
We wanted to explore whether people fully understand the potential benefits of drones or whether they still mainly perceive them as tools for capturing wedding videos and tourist footage. We also wanted to identify the public’s main concerns: noise, privacy, safety, or something else entirely.
Disclaimer: This was not a formal scientific study, but rather a journalistic exercise conducted for dissemination purposes. Therefore, while the opinions presented in this article do not represent society as a whole, they provide useful early insights into public perceptions and concerns surrounding drones.
Continue reading to discover how ordinary Athenians perceive drones, what concerns they have, and how they envision their future use.
“We did it ‘wrong’ with cars, we did it ‘wrong’ with planes — let’s do it ‘right’ with drones.”
One theme consistently emerged during our conversations with the public: privacy and personal data. The issue most frequently raised by participants was who would use drones and for what purpose.
Eleni, a student at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), asked:
“What kind of legislation will determine the flying areas and the purpose of flying?”
Adonis, a resident and employee of the Municipality of Egaleo, added:
“I am not aware of the existing legal framework. This is the biggest issue for me: the legislation regarding their use. I am negative towards drones if they carry cameras and record our movements. Since this technology is still new, we need to know who will use them and why. There should be a complete legal framework, and people should be informed and give consent first.”
Giorgos, another NTUA student, focused on how the public perceives drone usage:
“There are privacy issues. Even though we all carry devices that constantly track our location, like mobile phones, many people will still believe that a drone flying above them is monitoring them with a camera, rather than helping with deliveries or firefighting. In some countries, drones are already used with malicious intent.”
Others prioritised safety over privacy concerns.
Stella, a resident of Egaleo and mother of two, commented:
“I am very positive about drones. I don’t really care about privacy issues — if you have nothing to hide, you should not be worried. If drones can also improve safety and help people in emergencies, even better.”
The test flights took place in Athens, one of Europe’s busiest and noisiest cities. Nevertheless, when asked whether drone noise would be problematic, interviewees expressed mixed opinions.
Eleni noted:
“Athens already has a lot of noise from cars. However, if there were ways to make drones quieter, I would view them more positively.”
Adonis disagreed:
“I am particularly concerned about noise because we already suffer from noise pollution in our city. Even here, next to a busy road, I can still hear the drone.”
A common observation among participants was that society is still largely unaware of the full potential of drones and often associates them mainly with aerial photography and video recording.
Giorgos explained:
“Drones have only become widespread over the last 15 years. Younger generations know they exist, but not everyone understands their broader applications. Older generations, especially those less familiar with technology, may think drones are mainly for filming videos. Even among younger people, only those who actively engage with drones understand their full potential.”
Giannis, an employee of the Municipality of Egaleo, highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns:
“As a Municipality, we participated in the ‘First Respond’ project, where we demonstrated how drones can support emergency response operations. We promoted these activities through social media.”
Giorgos agreed and added:
“When people see drones helping during emergencies, such as identifying fires and alerting firefighters, they realise drones can benefit society. Public awareness campaigns are necessary — we should not wait for a disaster to convince people.”
Drones can offer significant advantages for municipalities, police departments, and emergency services.
Vasilis, a municipality employee, explained:
“At the municipal and city level, drones provide useful information about the condition of our city. In emergencies, we can deploy a drone to assess the situation quickly. We have already used drones for mapping and digitising municipal areas. In the future, municipal police could also use drones during fires, floods, or accidents. Drones may even be able to transport emergency supplies.”
When imagining cities filled with drones, safety concerns become increasingly important.
According to Vasilis:
“Everyone may want to fly a drone for their own needs, but not everyone will know how to use one properly.”
He also raised concerns regarding battery failures and operational mistakes, stressing the need for proper education and legislation.
Giannis focused on drone traffic management:
“If one drone collides with another, there must be systems in place to ensure drones can detect and avoid each other, similar to how aeroplanes operate.”
Giorgos highlighted weather resilience:
“Drones can be useful, but if not used properly they can become dangerous. They must be able to withstand sudden weather changes. Otherwise, they could fall and injure someone.”
Can we draw some early conclusions from these interviews?
Overall, people appear generally positive about drones and recognise their potential to improve everyday life. However, there is still considerable scepticism regarding legislation, operator competence, safety in dense urban airspaces, and privacy protection.
Most participants also agreed that society needs better education and greater familiarity with drones and their applications.
This is where local authorities, universities, researchers, policymakers, and industry experts must play a leading role.
Organisations such as Future Needs, together with municipalities, governments, the European Union, and specialised transport and U-space experts, can help foster broader social acceptance through projects and initiatives such as ImAFUSA, SAFIR-Med, RefMap, BURDI, and UAMschool4cities.
Achieving widespread acceptance of drones requires addressing several key challenges, including:
- Safety and privacy concerns
- Noise pollution
- Economic barriers
- Lack of education and training
To improve public acceptance, stakeholders should:
- Invest in quieter drone technologies without compromising performance
- Develop transparent frameworks for handling drone-collected data in compliance with privacy regulations and ethical standards
- Collaborate with schools, local governments, and community organisations to integrate drone education into outreach activities and curricula
- Support the further development and implementation of U-space legislation, in line with the European Commission’s Drone Strategy 2.0
Future Needs is particularly interested in urban air mobility and the use of drones for socially beneficial purposes, such as firefighting and medical deliveries.
The company continues to participate in major Horizon Europe and SESAR Joint Undertaking projects focused on the integration of drones into European cities, including their use in emergency response, medical logistics, and the broader social acceptance of urban drone operations.
