European airports seek to hasten EU drone rulebook adoption

Airports are stepping up pressure on EU authorities to swiftly adopt safety and traffic management rules that that will ensure the safe use of UAVs (drones) in and around airports. In its call for EU action released Jan. 29, airports lobby group ACI Europe said fast-evolving UAS technology presented opportunities but also required effective regulation. “The airport industry is embracing innovation and we are excited about the potential opportunities that drone technology presents, in particular in relation to infrastructure maintenance and operational efficiency, passenger facilitation and more,” ACI Europe DG Olivier Jankovec said. “That said, the safety issues concerning the use of drones in and around airports are increasingly well-documented—underlining the urgent need for an effective regulatory framework on this.” ACI Europe emphasized the importance of UAV registration, performance-based rules and a “modern approach to integrating drones at airports … one that relies on expedited approvals via ‘standard scenarios’ and safety management systems.” The group said the EU Aviation Strategy, which the EC published in 2015 to drive growth in the air transport sector, has been “a major driver of the development of new regulation on the use of drones” while political agreement on new EASA Regulation and the endorsement of the Helsinki Declaration by the aviation community had given further momentum to the prospect of an EU rulebook on UAV use.<br/>