Professional perceptions of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in logistics sector: A research on some vocational groups and drone pilots

Today, the level of technology compliance with logistics activities has become an important parameter that affects competition for businesses. Transport vehicles and vehicles whose growth momentum has increased since the beginning of the new millennium show that this is a period on the verge of revolutionary developments in terms of both transportation and international trade. One of the important building blocks of this development has been air transportation. Again, unmanned aerial vehicles technologies constitute one of the most important aspects of air transportation in recent years. In this context, the interest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones) has been increasing due to low cost and technological development. More importantly, the use of UAVs in professional logistics activities has been rising in the R&D planning of many national and international organizations. As the 21st century is identified with the Drone Age, the studies on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are considered as studies that have made their mark on the agenda of the aviation industry in the last 20 years. Studies carried out in this field from past to present have increased rapidly due to the technological developments. In our country, although UAV activities seem to be a shining star, especially in the defense sector, applications regarding the level of civil commercial use are quite limited. When evaluated in an academic context, it is understood that there is a significant gap in the written literature on this subject. In this study, as a mode of transportation, the usability of UAVs for logistics purposes in air transportation has been evaluated in the context of their professional perceptions. The research also sought an answer to the question of whether there is a relationship between Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use and Logistics Activity. Based on these objectives, an in-depth literature review was made in the first and second part of the research. Subsequently, UAV0 and UAV1 pilots licensed by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were taken as the universe for the field study. The survey results applied to a total of 301 UAV pilots were evaluated with statistical analysis. The findings were sorted and classified. According to the results of the research, it was determined that the professional perceptions of Drone pilots for the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Logistics sector caused a difference according to demographic variables. In addition, it has been determined that there is a positive relationship between Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and logistics activity. It is considered that this study is important as it is one of the first studies regarding the use of UAVs in the logistics sector. Moreover, its results will contribute to both academics interested in the subject and practitioners in the field. Keywords: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Logistics, Air Cargo, Drone