Drone Usage Citizens in Europe Welcome Drones in Life-saving Operations

A series of surveys reveals that citizens in six European cities strongly favor drone usage for emergency services and environmental monitoring. In Helsinki, citizens worry about criminal activity and invation of privacy.

In six cities, Helsinki, Hamburg, Stockholm, Gdansk, Riga, and Tartu, more than 8 000 people answered the surveys concerning drones and drone usage. The trend was clear: emergency and medical use cases consistently ranked as the most acceptable. Respondents prioritized safety and noise control, particularly when flights occur near private residences. Across all participating cities, higher knowledge levels about drones directly correlated with increased trust and overall acceptance.

Drone Acceptance in Helsinki

The survey round of the autumn 2025 highlighted that Helsinki residents are most receptive to drone applications that provide clear public benefits. The finding reinforces a long-term trend in Helsinki’s drone attitude development. Comparing these results to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 surveys, emergency response remains the primary driver for public approval. The surveys have had 500 to 800 answerers per survey round. The ones done in 2024 and 2025 are part of a series of surveys conducted in six cities around Europe. The format has been created as part of an EU funded urban air mobility project called CITYAM. The partnering cities were Helsinki, Hamburg, Stockholm, Gdansk, Riga and Tartu. All the cities have also conducted surveys.

“The survey results give cities vital information about their attitudes and expectations. The results should be taken into account when making policies and planning urban infrastructure for urban air mobility”, says Renske Martijnse-Hartikka, a senior project manager from Helsinki’s innovation company Forum Virium Helsinki. Martijnse-Hartikka has coordinated drone projects in Europe for several years.

Citizens Prioritize Safety and Emergency Services

While 2025 results showed 64% find emergency drones "very acceptable," previous data revealed an even more striking consensus: 91% of residents would welcome a drone near their home specifically in a life-saving situation. In autumn 2025, environmental monitoring also saw high approval at 53%, signaling that citizens value technology that protects nature.

This consistent support for "drones for good" contrasts with commercial or private use, where residents remain more negative. Despite this, commercial deliveries by drone are on the rise in several European cities. Cities should therefore continue to measure acceptance and also draw consequences from the results.

“We can see, however, that the anxiety about drones and associations with war are quite strong. This should be taken into account in the communication strategy of cities, when they start deploying drone services on a larger scale”, Martijnse-Hartikka says.

In addition to the survey, an interview study was conducted in the autumn of 2025. Out of 350 respondents, slightly more than ten percent specifically mentioned concerns related to drones. Five percent of those interviewed directly associated drones with war.

Concerns about Privacy and Criminal Activity

Despite the overall positive outlook, concerns remain. The most significant worries include criminal activity (27.3% is "very worried"), invasion of privacy, and misuse of data. Interestingly, noise pollution ranked lower than safety and security issues, placing 6th out of 12 listed concerns. Residents emphasized the need for clear regulations and transparent communication to ensure that drones are operated responsibly by the City.

Furthermore, concerns regarding privacy and safety have remained the top priorities for citizens since the first surveys in 2022, though the latest data shows a slight shift as residents become more familiar with the technology and specifically demand better-defined landing infrastructure.

Helsinki’s Path Forward: Listening to Citizens

Helsinki residents are clear about where they want to see drones. Industrial areas and the rooftops of commercial buildings are the most favored locations for take-off and landing. Conversely, street infrastructure like public transport stops and residential sidewalks were deemed "not suitable at all" by a large majority. This indicates a strong preference for keeping drone operations away from densely populated areas to minimize disruption and perceived risks.

The results will be used by the City of Helsinki to shape future drone policies and urban airspace regulations. Forum Virium Helsinki will continue to engage residents through demonstrations and informative campaigns to ensure that urban air mobility develops in a socially responsible way. The City of Helsinki has taken the public acceptance toolkit which with the surveys were done and they aim to continue measuring acceptance.

In all six cities, the surveys were conducted as part of the CITYAM project funded by the European Union through the Interreg Baltic Sea Region. The project aimed to increase the preparedness of the cities for the increase of urban air mobility.