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Dubai International Airport was closed for more than an hour on
June 12 due to unauthorized drone activity in the surrounding
airspace that resulted in millions of dollars of losses for the
economy.
"Several incidents have happened and to integrate them (drones)
safely into the commercial airspace is a challenge," Mohammed
Faisal al-Dossari, director, air navigation & aerodromes
department, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said.
Current regulations on drones in the UAE, introduced in April
2015, relate mainly to commercial licensing and approving how
companies use drones and are under constant development, al
Dossari told reporters at a regional conference on drones in the
UAE capital.
"The Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (Esma)
is working on laws that will have a framework for the UAE for
imports, sales and performance of drones," he said.
Abu Dhabi has banned the sale of recreational drones since March
last year until new laws are issued, saying they posed a risk to
aviation.
The new laws will also address air-worthiness for heavier
drones, standards for pilotless aircraft and pilot training
among other issues, al Dossari said.
At least 400 drones, mostly commercial, are registered with the
GCAA. Drones are used for commercial operations such as mapping,
security surveillance, wildlife surveys as well as for
environment, transport, agricultural and maritime purposes,
among others in the UAE.
As a regional aviation hub with two of the busiest airports in
the world, the UAE's airspace is congested. And with drones
becoming increasingly relevant, there are safety and security
risks, Gulf area manager at IATA, the global body of airlines,
Michael Herrero, said.
"The big question is how to integrate drones into commercial
airspace in future, governments need to put it high on the
agenda with enforceable legislation," he said.
(Reporting By Stanley Carvalho, editing by Sami Aboudi and Susan
Fenton)
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