Maintaining New York City’s gleaming skyscrapers has long been a dangerous and costly endeavor—but new drone technology is changing that reality. In this guest post, Aviram Adi, founder of SkyClean NYC, explains how drones are revolutionizing building maintenance by improving safety, cutting costs, and enhancing sustainability. DRONELIFE neither makes nor accepts payment for guest posts.
Drone technology in action: Cleaning a glass facade on a commercial building
By Aviram Adi, Founder of SkyClean NYC
In the concrete canyons of New York City, maintaining the gleaming facades of our iconic skyline has traditionally been a dangerous, expensive, and disruptive operation. For decades, the sight of workers suspended on scaffolding or dangling from ropes has been as much a part of the city landscape as yellow taxis and hot dog stands. But a revolution is quietly taking place above the busy streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond. Drone technology is transforming how we approach building maintenance, offering safer, more cost-effective, and less disruptive alternatives to traditional methods. As someone working at the intersection of drone technology and building maintenance, I’ve witnessed firsthand how this technology is changing the game for property managers across major urban centers. Here are five ways drone technology is revolutionizing urban building maintenance.
1. Eliminating Height-Related Safety Risks
The statistics are sobering. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls remain one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities in the construction and maintenance industry. In 2023 alone, over 300 workers lost their lives due to falls from heights, with many of these accidents occurring during building maintenance operations. Drone technology fundamentally changes this equation by keeping workers safely on the ground. Instead of suspending maintenance
