DGCA to register drones and issue permits for their operations

In a bid to regulate the operation of unmanned flying devices such as drones, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) plans to register all civil unmanned aircraft and issue permits for their operations.

The regulator has released draft guidelines for operation of civil Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). ''DGCA will register all civil unmanned aircraft and issue an operator permit on case to case basis. All unmanned aircraft intended to be operated in India will require a Unique Identification Number (UIN) issued from DGCA,'' says the draft guidelines, comments on which had been invited till 21 May.

''International operations of civil UAS (flying across the territory) and / or over water shall be strictly prohibited. The UA shall not be flown over the entire air space over the territory of Delhi (30km radius from Rashtrapati Bhavan) and areas falling within 50 km from the international borders. Also, UA (unmanned aircraft) shall not be flown over other sensitive locations viz. nuclear stations, military facilities and strategic locations,'' it said.

''Civilian use of UAS includes damage assessment of property and life in areas affected with natural calamities, surveys; critical infrastructure monitoring….UA operations present problems to the regulator in terms of ensuring safety of other users of airspace and persons on the ground,'' the DGCA said.

The DGCA's rules make it mandatory for any  unmanned aerial vehicle to have a unique identification number (UIN), and operators of such vehicles would need a permit to fly it.

However, civilians can fly drones below 200 feet in unrestricted areas.

But, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed to make it mandatory for all drones to be registered with it with the UIN. In its draft Air Transport Circular, the regulator said the operators would need to adhere to the guidelines in the interest of flight safety.

However, DGCA chief had offered to exempt civilian drones flying below 200 feet above ground level if they did not get into restricted areas such as strategic installations and so on.