Civilian drones cannot fly at will

Recently, many places have experienced incidents where drone interference affected the takeoff and landing of civil aviation flights, causing widespread public concern. Illegal and unregulated drone flights not only affect civil aviation operations but also pose a serious threat to civil aviation safety.

In order to curb the frequent occurrence of incidents where drones affect civil aviation operations, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is currently implementing a real-name registration system for civil drones. "The registration system for civil drones is a commonly adopted management method internationally and is the foundation of drone management." Zhang Ruiqing, deputy director of the Air Traffic Management Industry Management Office of the CAAC, stated that, according to the CAAC's real-name registration management requirements for civil drones, since May 18, 2017, drone owners must register their drones under their real names in the CAAC's drone real-name registration system. After August 31, 2017, any drone flights not registered in the system will be considered illegal.

Zhang Ruiqing introduced that since the frequent interference incidents in April, China has formed a comprehensive linkage mechanism to effectively control such situations. The civil aviation system is also further improving emergency response measures. In particular, it is adopting technical prevention measures such as monitoring platforms. Recently, four drone monitoring points have been set up at the Capital Airport. "It can be said that good results have been achieved, allowing us to detect drone flights in real time and control them promptly. The Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Chengdu airports, which have recently been affected by interference, are also deploying these monitoring measures." Zhang Ruiqing stated that drone interference with flights has also attracted the attention of relevant ministries and commissions, including the Ministry of Public Security. The next step is to strengthen coordination, through the inter-ministerial liaison system for unmanned aerial vehicles of the Air Traffic Management Commission Office, to severely crack down on illegal flights.

It is understood that China is actively establishing a data sharing and query system for drone real-name registration, achieving real-time interconnection with the drone operation cloud platform. The CAAC recently released data on the protection ranges of the first batch of 155 airports, aiming to ensure the safety of flights at and around airports. Further additions and improvements will be made. In addition, China will gradually regulate the market order for commercial operation of drones. It is reported that the CAAC is formulating regulations on access management for using drones to conduct general aviation operations. Based on development characteristics and needs, it plans to list four main business items—agricultural and forestry spraying, aerial photography, aerial photography, and license training—as licensed projects, and will simultaneously develop a platform for supervising drone access and operational activities.