Mapping UAV risk perceptions among aviation professionals using ICAO’s risk matrix

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has introduced new opportunities as well as significant safety challenges for civil aviation stakeholders. While UAVs provide notable operational advantages in logistics, surveillance and emergency response, their integration into shared airspace raises critical safety, regulatory and human-factors concerns. This study examines the risk perceptions of two key aviation stakeholder groups – pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) – using the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Safety Management Manual (SMM) risk matrix as a comparative framework. Thirty aviation professionals (15 pilots and 15 ATCs) evaluated eight major UAV-related risk scenarios across likelihood and severity dimensions, including technical failures, operator inexperience, mid-air collisions and privacy violations. The results reveal substantial perceptual asymmetries between the groups: pilots emphasised catastrophic consequences and direct flight safety, whereas ATCs prioritised systemic disruptions and likelihood-based assessments. Both groups, however, identified ‘inexperienced UAV operators’ as the most critical and unacceptable risk factor. The findings suggest that UAV safety cannot be managed solely through technological improvements, but also requires human-centred considerations in risk communication and coordination, and cross-disciplinary risk communication. Moreover, the results highlight the need to expand ICAO’s risk assessment framework to incorporate ethical and socio-technical considerations, including privacy and data protection. By aligning diverse professional risk perceptions, this study contributes to improving safety risk communication and interpretation within SMS practices for UAV integration within civil aviation systems.