New law soon to restrict drone import
CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY WORKING WITH ESMA TO BUILD A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Civil Aviation Authority and Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology working on a regulatory plan
Anew UAE law to restrict the import and sale of drones will soon be implemented in the UAE due to the growing use of drones, a senior official from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Mohammad Al Dossari, director of air navigation and aerodromes department, said they are working with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology on the new law.
He did not give a time frame on when it will come into effect.
“We are working with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology on a law that will have a framework for the UAE on the sale and import of drones. Once the law is implemented, you will have restrictions on the sale and import of drones and only certain sizes of drones will be there in the market,” said Al Dossari while speaking to reporters at the Drones Middle East conference in Abu Dhabi.
Currently, drones can be purchased from retailers in Dubai and some other parts of the UAE. However, Abu Dhabi banned the sale of drones last year due to risks posed to the aviation sector.
“It is very important that we provide a safe level of service equal to the business that we manage in the airline. This is a new player that we need to incorporate. The UAE is one of the earliest states that have a regulatory framework in this field.”
‘Unauthorised activity’
“The challenge that we are facing is people are not aware of the requirements. Several incidents have happened in the UAE caused by individuals who are not familiar with our requirements and they fly the drones.”
Dubai airport was closed for more than an hour in June due to unauthorised drone activity resulting in delays and flight diversions.
Al Dossari also said they have launched a new mobile app to alert people about the red zone where they are not allowed to use drones.
The authority is also working to reduce the processing time for licence applications in coordination with various departments such as Department of Transport, Ministry of Defence and other air traffic control units in the UAE.
More than 400 drones have been registered with the GCAA, mostly for commercial purposes for use in real estate, agriculture and the oil and gas industry.
Some company delegates who attended the conference complained that the charges for flying drones per day were very high compared with many other countries.
The Ministry of Defence charges Dh2,500 for flying drones per day for commercial purposes but officials from the GCAA hinted that those charges might be reviewed in future.
Dh2,500 Fee per day for flying drones for commercial purposes in UAE. 400 drones registered with the GCAA, mostly for commercial purposes.