In December 2018, runway operations at London’s Gatwick Airport were halted for around 36 hours after a drone was sighted in the area. Nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled, stranding around 140,000 travellers in what was described as the greatest interruption to air travel since the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud of 2010. Since then, some local councils in the United Kingdom such as Coventry have framed policies that would ban drones from open public spaces out of concern for privacy.
India imposed a blanket ban on drones in 2014. In the following years, though, it came to be seen as impractical. So, the government crafted a regulatory policy, which came into effect on December 1.
The new drone policy has stirred excitement about the opportunities it could open up. Drones can help reduce human intervention in such sectors as aviation. They can also be used to gather precise spatial data, the lack of which has impeded India’s city planning and administration.
Such policies, however, must come armed with a precise safety and security framework and a robust institutional and logistical set-up to ensure they are not misused. While the new drone policy establishes an intricate system of application and approval procedures, it is lacking when it comes to thorough monitoring of drones. It also ignores the implications of free movement of smaller drones, which have been exempted from many of the regulatory procedures.
The policy classifies drones based on their “all-up weight”, or the total weight with cargo and fuel. Nano drones weigh up to 250 grams, micro drones 250 grams to 2 kg, small drones 2 kg to 25 kg, medium drones 25 kg to 150 kg, large drones upwards of 150 kg.
India’s civil aviation regulations generally apply to all remotely piloted aircraft systems, including drones. Any entity purchasing or importing such a system have to take approvals from multiple agencies, including the Director General of Civil Aviation. They are also required to obtain a Unique Identification Number or an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit.
Drone operators have to ensure all mandated security measures are in place before each flight. They cannot transport any hazardous material and must have insurance for any damage to a third party. Violating the regulations could lead to their permits being suspended or cancelled.
05/02/19 Mukesh Yadav/Scroll.in
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India imposed a blanket ban on drones in 2014. In the following years, though, it came to be seen as impractical. So, the government crafted a regulatory policy, which came into effect on December 1.
The new drone policy has stirred excitement about the opportunities it could open up. Drones can help reduce human intervention in such sectors as aviation. They can also be used to gather precise spatial data, the lack of which has impeded India’s city planning and administration.
Such policies, however, must come armed with a precise safety and security framework and a robust institutional and logistical set-up to ensure they are not misused. While the new drone policy establishes an intricate system of application and approval procedures, it is lacking when it comes to thorough monitoring of drones. It also ignores the implications of free movement of smaller drones, which have been exempted from many of the regulatory procedures.
The policy classifies drones based on their “all-up weight”, or the total weight with cargo and fuel. Nano drones weigh up to 250 grams, micro drones 250 grams to 2 kg, small drones 2 kg to 25 kg, medium drones 25 kg to 150 kg, large drones upwards of 150 kg.
India’s civil aviation regulations generally apply to all remotely piloted aircraft systems, including drones. Any entity purchasing or importing such a system have to take approvals from multiple agencies, including the Director General of Civil Aviation. They are also required to obtain a Unique Identification Number or an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit.
Drone operators have to ensure all mandated security measures are in place before each flight. They cannot transport any hazardous material and must have insurance for any damage to a third party. Violating the regulations could lead to their permits being suspended or cancelled.
05/02/19 Mukesh Yadav/Scroll.in
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