Ministry of Interior moots enforcement of unmanned aircraft system regulations

The Ministry of Interior has mooted the enforcement of penalties and fines set to be imposed on violators of the UAE Civil Aviation Law.

The issue was the main topic of discussion at a meeting of the ministry's Committee to Follow-Up the Implementation of Light Air Sports Systems in the presence of Major General Ahmed Naser Al Raisi, Inspector General of the Ministry of Interior, who is the committee's chairman, along with committee members and representatives of state departments concerned.

The meeting occasioned a review of the strategy adopted by Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, ESMA, on regulating the use of air system products through an electronic system developed to register unmanned air systems allowed to enter the UAE markets.

The system focuses on drones and unmanned air systems used for multiple purposes in the country, including their spare parts, with ESMA representative in the committee driving home the fact that all such systems have to be pre-registered by importers as per ESMA rules and that all unmanned aircraft on the market have to have a mandatory serial number that manufacturers have to post on the product chassis.

The system is a stepping stone for developing a federal database for such systems, added ESMA representative.

As per the new system, a "sky commander" tracking device must be attached to any drone cleared to fly in approved zones. The device records the area, heights and speed of flight and the authority automatically checks for offenses.

For his part, Al Raisi pointed out the successful campaigns launched by the ministry over the past period to enhance public awareness of the standard rules and regulations of using such types of aircraft in order to ensure safety and security among all segments of society.

He noted that as per the Federal Civil Aviation Law No 20 for the year 1991, a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dirhams or either penalty shall be imposed on an owner or operator of an aircraft who caused it to be flown without an authorisation or permit from the Competent Authority or prior to obtaining a certificate of registration or a certificate of airworthiness or after the expiry or revocation of such certificates. As per the law as well, he added, a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years and a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dirhams or either penalty shall be imposed on any person who piloted an aircraft or caused it to be flown without bearing the nationality and registration marks or displaying incorrect or ineligible marks and on any person who has piloted an aircraft over a prohibited area or has flown over any such area and has failed to comply with the instruction issued to him.